Forget Me Not
by Blue Ten
Summary: The Titans return to their city to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, they're left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBRae, RobStar FINISHED!
1. Unwelcome Guests

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

**Warning:**

This story contains spoilers for 'Things Change.'

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Chapter One: Unwelcome Guests

"_Little green one. You always try so hard, and always fail so completely."_

Those words... on any other day I'd have shrugged 'em off. Lies from some... brain in a jar... tryin' to psyche me out or something. But on that day, as I stood there watching an old friend slip away into the crowd... _those words _were all I could hear. I fought--I tried--harder than I ever had before... I even went up against _him_ on my own... because_ she _was more than just a friend. For the longest time, since the day she was taken away, she's been a part of me. So tell me... how can someone just let go of a part of themselves... how can you just say goodbye to something you've held onto for so long? Tch. Like that matters. The world wants what it wants. And right now, it wants me to give up.

Things changed.

Coming back to the city was like opening the door to your room and finding that someone had rearranged everything... and built shiny new office complex over your bed. Like home... wasn't really home anymore. To tell the truth, it didn't hurt that bad. Raven could always find another place to buy her books, and we could always find another place to rent our videos. That wasn't the problem for me. During a fight with what seemed like the usual kind of enemy, I saw someone I thought I'd never see again. I had never been so happy. I had never been so stupid.

While the others were off fighting an impossible battle on their own, so was I. Terra... I tried my best to give her back the memories I thought she lost. But it took a fight with Slade and an act of stupidity to make me realize something... she hadn't lost her memories at all... she just refused to remember them. And who could blame her for that? Why would anyone want to remember all that pain? She had a new life, new friends... who was I to try and mess with that?

I stood there in the hall of that school and watched, each new crowd of students that walked by keeping her from my view as she stepped away. And in an instant, she disappeared. I knew I would never see her again. I thought the worst had already happened...

We came home, not just as the Titans, but as a bigger team than we'd ever imagined. That was what helped us through the toughest fight of our lives: being a team... never giving up. When things looked bad, when the odds were against us, we knew, from then on, we could always turn to each other for strength. Together... we could do anything. But... what happens when being together just isn't enough?

On the day after our finest hour... things changed.

- - - - - -

Beast Boy stood alone in the hall of Murakami High School as the metallic sounding bell rang throughout, pairs and groups of students walking across the tiled floor to their respective classrooms in response. The girl he called Terra had since vanished. Collective footsteps and chattering resonated through the building, slowly dissipating as the area gradually cleared of people. Finally, with the sound of the last door shutting, the school became deathly quiet and the only person remaining was left to contemplate in that weighty silence.

Taking one last look down the hall, Beast Boy let out a breath and reached to his belt, removing his communicator. "Beast Boy to Robin..." he spoke into the receiver, staring off into nothing, "I'm on my way. Over," he finished, returning the communicator as he turned around. The light from beyond the exit doors bleached everything on that end of the hall in its radiance. Trying to just let go, trying to give up, Beast Boy looked straight ahead as he rushed off into the light...feeling like looking back was something he shouldn't do.

- - - - - -

In the form of an hawk, Beast Boy glided across the gusts of wind in the cloudless blue sky, making his way to the position his communicator had given him. The sun's heat was intense, beating down on the vast stretches of metropolis below, but the constant presence of the cool wind belied its effects. The changeling found it oddly calming... such a peaceful day. Leaving the ocean and bay behind, he traveled inland toward the forested city limits.

In an instant, Beast Boy's eyes focused on a plume of smoke rising from a facility just outside the city. Tilting his wings to the right, he altered his course slightly, noticing a gaping hole on one side of the building where the smoke originated. Destruction had been paved in a path from that... custom exit; trees uprooted, earth upturned, and rubble strewn outward into the forest. Seeing this, Beast Boy felt even worse for ignoring his friends for as long as he did. As he descended toward the facility, he could see four figures in the clearing... knowing exactly who it was, he new he was going to get an earful from either Robin or Raven.

Reverting back to human form, Beast Boy dropped the remaining distance to the ground, kicking up some dust as he landed. Standing still and quiet for a moment, he eyed his teammates one bye one... each looked a little worse for wear. Leaning his back against a tree, looking a little impatient, Robin massaged his right shoulder, one eye wincing as he did so. Starfire, obviously the least beat up, floated at the edge of the clearing, looking off into the forest intently--most likely for signs of the creature. Cyborg sat on a stump near Robin's position... reattaching his arm, a frustrated look on his face. Raven... well, Beast Boy had no idea what was going on with her, as usual... her back facing him. However, he knew one thing: like the others, she couldn't be very happy.

"Took your time?" Raven asked monotonously, turning everyone's attention to Beast Boy. Preparing a stern face, she turned around, ready to give him that earful she had planned on. However, upon seeing Beast Boy's glum and defeated expression, she softened her look and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah... I did," Beast Boy answered simply, walking past Raven without even making eye contact. Looking at Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg, he took in a deep breath. "Look... I should have stayed to help you guys... but I didn't. I'm sorry. But I'm here now... and I'm ready to kick some freaky creature butt," he joked with an obviously fake grin, slamming a fist into his palm. He was relieved, not to mention surprised, to see small smiles appear on both Robin and Cyborg's faces as they left their positions and moved closer. The rest of the group followed suit, forming a circle.

"Glad to have you back," said Robin, standing where he could see everyone.

"'Bout time, too..." Cyborg trailed off, seeing Beast Boy's expression falter at the mere mention of his previous absence. He wondered what had happened with the Terra situation...

"Now that we're all here, we should be able to take this thing down," Robin started, looking over his shoulder to the dense forest. "The creature ran off into the woods, but I'm sure it's not going to the city. It seems to be targeting us specifically..." he explained, turning back to face the others, his own words making him wonder about the creature's true purpose. "Beast Boy, we'll need you to follow its scent. But first, we should form a strategy, figure out what we're up against."

"Right. And... what _are _we up against?" Beast Boy questioned, having the least experience with it.

Standing next to Beast Boy, Raven stepped forward. "I can't sense it, so either it has some manner of psychic shielding, or--"

"It's not alive," Robin cut in. "I got a good look at its eyes back there. It's a machine, no doubt about it."

Starfire nodded, deciding to add her two cents. "Yes. But it is no ordinary Earth robot. It is far more... intelligent than anything we have faced before," she said, squinting her eyes as she mulled over the many possible explanations for it.

"Exactly. It's sophisticated, like nothing I've ever seen before," Cyborg spoke up, crossing his arms as he began to think back to the battle. "But it's those abilities that really caught my attention. Depending on what it touches, it seems able to take on a form in each phase of matter: solid, liquid... and probably gas, too, if we gave it the chance," he explained. Suddenly, Cyborg's expression brightened up. "I've got an idea. There's one phase of matter I'm sure this thing'll be unstable at--"

"Energy," the atypically quiet Beast Boy cut in with a word apparently so shocking it had the power to widen everyone's eyes.

"Um... yeah," Cyborg scratched the human side of his head in astonishment.

"Heh... I, uh, guess I spent a little too much time at that school," Beast Boy nearly tripped over his words, a sweat drop sliding down from his temple. "Go on," he cleared his throat, turning to Cyborg.

"...Anyway. I bet if we heat this thing up to a high enough temperature, its mechanical parts will get fried."

"Yeah... it's just too bad we don't have any spare volcanoes lying around," Beast Boy managed to joke as usual, surprising himself. A fluke, he was sure...

"That's more like it," Cyborg commented with a grin. "But you're right... there's really nothing around here we can lead it into. That's why I thought of _this_," he said, holding up his right arm for everyone to see as he shifted it into cannon mode. "I can increase the frequency on my cannon. At the right setting it could supercharge the particles in the creature's body, vaporizing it in one blast, literally turning it into energy. But... you can guess why I've never done this before. I might end up blasting a couple other things at the same time... So if I do this, you guys gotta stay out of the way," he warned, looking each of his friends in the eye for confirmation.

"Okay. Looks like we've got a plan." Robin backed away from the group and nodded, turning his face to the forest. "Starfire, you and Raven keep an eye on things from above; if you notice anything in the forest, contact us. Beast Boy, try to pick up on this thing's scent. Cyborg and I'll follow you. If he can get a good shot, we can finish this without too much trouble," Robin finished issuing directions, turning around to look at everyone. "Titans, go!" he shouted, motioning his hands as if to say 'spread out.'

At that, Starfire took to the sky, while Robin and Cyborg made their way to the trees, waiting for Beast Boy. Raven, about to follow after Starfire, turned her attention to Beast Boy as he slowly walked toward the others... looking down at his feet. Seeing that Robin and Cyborg were busy surveying the area, she decided to ask about something while she had the chance.

Stepping forward almost hesitantly, Raven reached a hand out and grasped Beast Boy's shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked seriously. "You seem... different."

"Nothing," he responded without turning around.

"What?"

"Yeah," Beast Boy turned around, wearing a big grin. "Nothing different. Just... business as usual." Backing away with a nervous chuckle, he suddenly morphed into a bloodhound. Sniffing around on the ground, Beast Boy picked up a scent and began following it past the trees and into the forest. Robin and Cyborg stealthily traced the changeling's path a few moments later.

"...Business as usual?" Raven contorted her mouth, attempting to digest that information. Something was definitely wrong, and, unfortunately, she now knew exactly what it was concerning. Beast Boy claimed to have seen Terra in the city and ever since had been trying to talk to her. She knew, whether or not it really was Terra he saw, Beast Boy believed so... and something must have gone wrong in his attempts. Now... it was like something inside him was broken. Being an empath, she couldn't possibly ignore it... _S_haking her head, Raven looked to the sky to see Starfire flying above the treetops. Keeping a staid expression, she lifted herself from the ground. _'He can deal with it on his own.'_

Noticing Raven catching up to her, Starfire slowed her flight and turned around. "Friend. Did Beast Boy explain what the matter was?" she asked with a curious and concerned face.

Nearly falling out of levitation, Raven quickly corrected herself, raising an eyebrow under her hood at Starfire. "You noticed too?"

"One does not need be a mind reader to notice such a change," Starfire replied, keeping an eye on the ground below as the two continued onward.

"Yes... I suppose you're right..." Without another word, Raven sped up, putting several feet between herself and Starfire.

"Raven."

"What?" Raven looked up from the ground for a moment before realizing what she had forgotten. "Oh," she started, floating back to Starfire's side, "he didn't say what the problem was... but, you can probably guess..."

"I see..." Starfire responded, looking down to where Robin and Cyborg were following Beast Boy. "I wonder if it was truly her he saw. I am sorry for him..."

"Don't be," Raven gave Starfire a serious look. "He got over it once, he'll get over it again," she said, turning her eyes to the ground.

Starfire looked shocked at Raven before realizing what was really going on. Floating into her friend's view, she gave a smile. "You should not pretend you do not care. Perhaps you recall what happened when you said you were not afraid?" Finishing her statement, Starfire backed away with a sheepish expression at the look Raven gave her.

Waiting for a moment, Raven shifted her look to one of slight agreement. "Point taken," she said plainly.

Suddenly, a loud growl turned Raven and Starfire's attention to the ground. "Starfire, Raven. We could use your help," came Robin's urgent voice from their communicators mere moments later.

- - - - - -

Dog nose sniffing away at the forest floor, Beast Boy followed the peculiar rusty metal scent that had been left. All the while, he attempted keep his mind focused on his goal, his surroundings, Robin and Cyborg's footsteps, anything other than what transpired mere minutes ago in the city. He didn't know why he was finding it so hard to let go... he knew he had to, for her sake as well as his own. It was only now that Beast Boy came to realize the only reason he had remained unaffected after Terra sacrificed herself... was because he had the hope that one day she would return. But that hope had been dashed and his spirit right along with it.

_'She's alive. Be grateful, you idiot,' _Beast Boy ordered himself in thought, hardly noticing the smell getting stronger. That thought alone gave him some solace. At least there was one thing to be thankful for: the bright side of things. _'Yeah... It's not like you--' _Beast Boy cut himself off as his nose ran into a hard white rock. Backing away and shaking the stinging sensation from his face, Beast Boy looked up, eyes widening as he realized the rock was not a rock at all.

Morphing back into a human, Beast Boy backed away on his hands and knees for a moment before standing up fully. The tall and pale humanoid creature unnervingly stared him down for a moment. Its broad-shouldered form loomed over Beast Boy, red eyes staring like camera shutters from its black and white face.

Unsure of what moves to make, Beast Boy slowly turned his head over his shoulder. "Um... guys. Found it," he spoke as loud as he could, attempting to get his friends' attention without provoking the creature any further... something that proved in vain. Without warning, the monster lunged forward, arms outstretched. Swallowing hard, Beast Boy quickly changed into a snake and slithered away into a nearby bush, causing the creature to fall to the ground and kick up dirt as it crashed. Feeling incredibly angered by the thing for some strange reason, Beast Boy decided he would do no more running. With a loud growl, he leaped from cover as a gorilla, beating his fists against his chest as he charged toward his downed enemy.

Having heard Beast Boy's growls from their positions, Robin and Cyborg came out of hiding and proceeded to rush toward the fray. "Starfire, Raven. We could use your help," said Robin, quickly placing his communicator back into his belt, retrieving his retractable staff. As he and Cyborg continued forward, they could see Beast Boy grappling with the creature between the trees in the distance, growling furiously in his primal form.

Grasping the creature's hands, Beast Boy pushed forward, unsure of what exactly he was planning to do. Successfully slamming it into a tree, he glared as the trunk nearly snapped. With an odd sound, the creature's body suddenly shifted color to a deep brown, odd features quickly decorating its skin... like bark. Feeling rather dumb, Beast Boy felt the creature's now tougher hands grasp tighter, pushing him further away. In an instant, it lifted Beast Boy up and tossed him across the way where he crashed into a tree and reverted back to human form, rubbing his forehead.

"Hey, ugly," came Cyborg's voice as he jumped into the clearing.

"Heads up!" shouted Robin, tossing several metal disks toward the creature. On contact, the disks detonated, sending chunks of wood and smoke into the air. As soon as the smoke cleared, the creature was revealed... headless, a splintered mess of wood resembling a body left in its place. Tilting, limbs stationary, the body fell to the ground, making a loud thump against the ground.

"Whoa..." said Beast Boy, standing up and backing away toward Robin and Cyborg. "More like... _head's off_," he commented.

Just then, Starfire and Raven descended from the air, looking surprised at the defeated mass in front of them. "Are we... too late?" Starfire asked, examining the hunk of wood from afar. Without delay, the wooden body suddenly shifted back to its white form, melting into a muddy liquid with the help of the moist forest floor.

"If only," said Robin, removing several more disks from his belt as the creature began to reform. "Cyborg," he called his friend's attention while the others formed a group with them.

A look of acknowledgment on his face, Cyborg charged up his cannon again. "Right," he said, turning to the creature, surprised at what he saw. Once again in gorilla form, Beast Boy haphazardly jumped at the creature. Unfortunately, his attempt at an attack proved useless. The creature merely gobbled Beast Boy up into its muddy center. A big brown blob remained, something kicking and punching to get free from its interior. Shifting its form, the creature suddenly spit its attacker out. Soaring through the air, Beast Boy crashed into the other Titans, knocking everyone to the ground while the creature resumed white form.

The Titans remained motionless as the creature stood still and stared them down for a moment. Putting its arms at its sides, the monster's eyes suddenly took on a bright red glow. In an odd turn of events, a thin plane of red light extended from its eyes and began moving downward from the treetops like some sort of scanner. The Titans sat dumbfounded as the light passed over them and just as soon returned to within the creature's eyes.

Shaking that strange happening from his mind, Robin turned to Cyborg. "Now's your chance!" he shouted.

"Got it!" Cyborg pulled his right arm out from under the others and aimed it at the curiously still creature. "It's--"

A crackling electric sound suddenly swept across the forest. Just as soon, the creature became enveloped in a large glowing net... Thrashing around, it began struggling against the bonds, its form seeming to be unstable, shifting in and out of visibility. With one final electric crackle, the creature gave up, falling to the ground and disappearing completely in an explosion of light.

"...Over?" Cyborg finished, squinting into the blinding white light as it began to dissipate. Standing there, beyond the now empty net, were six tall figures; each carried a gun-like weapon securely in both arms. Clad in body armor, they stood still, watching as remnants of smoke cleared away from the net. Separated into sections, their uniforms were composed of white and black metal; face, shoulders, chest, forearms and lower legs were protected by the white metal, while the rest was adorned by the black. Their faces were hidden well behind full-coverage masks, seeing out through a 'Y' shaped, red-tinted glass section... too reflective to see any indication of eyes behind the mask.

As soon as things settled down, one of the armored men stepped forward, set apart from the others by his blue-tinted faceplate. Holstering his weapon back behind his shoulder, the man knelt down and reached toward the dirt. Standing up, he held a small semi-reflective object in his hand; a microchip.

"Here it is," he spoke in a voice distorted by his mask, turning around and facing one of the others. Removing a glass container from his belt, he placed the chip into it. "Make sure this gets to evidence. They should be able to figure out where it came from," he continued, handing the container over to one of his subordinates. Suddenly, the man's head turned toward the downed heroes, alerting each of the Titans into an upright fighting stance.

Robin stood at the front of the group, unsure of what to do as the man approached. Suddenly, he came to a stop and held out a hand. "We'd like to thank you for your assistance in apprehending this creature. We've been tracking it for months now."

Almost reluctantly, Robin reached out and shook the man's hand. "And... you are?" he asked, slight skepticism in his expression.

"Sentinel," responded the man, motioning a hand at his friends who all stood still and focused. "Company policy; I'm not supposed to reveal my real name. We're Sentinel, the city's reformed police force. Perhaps you saw the new building downtown?"

Coming upon a revelation, Beast Boy suddenly jumped out from the back of the group and pointed an accusing finger at the man. "So it's _your _fault!" he exclaimed, teeth clenched. Suddenly, Raven reached a hand out, covering Beast Boy's mouth and pulling him back into the group.

"Right..." responded the guard as he released the handshake, sounding almost sorry. "We know those establishments were quite frequented. But the city had to take drastic measures during your... absence. Crime levels were at an all-time high, so they formed Sentinel," he explained. "The owners have been compensated, though, so it wasn't a total loss."

"Great... tack the blame on us, why don't ya?" Beast Boy commented under his breath, finding it incredibly hard to trust these people.

"Well, it's good to know we got someone watchin' our backs. We really ought to be thanking you," Cyborg chimed in, a good natured look on his face as he approached the front of the group.

"Yes, truly, it was a great help," Starfire added with a grateful smile.

"Yeah, that thing had been targeting us," said Robin.

"Really?" asked the lead guard, sounding intrigued. "We'll be sure to contact your tower if we find any information regarding that--"

"HOLD ON!" Beast Boy jumped out of the group once more, hearing the sound of a record scratching in his mind as he slid in between the guards and his team. He stood in front of his friends and eyed each of them with shock. "You can't seriously tell me you trust these guys, right?" he questioned, motioning both his hands at the six armored guards.

"...BB. It's the _police_," Cyborg replied, furrowing his brow at the unsettled changeling. "Y'know: the people who take the criminals to jail... To protect and serve... _The good guys_."

"Do the _uniforms _ring a bell?" Raven asked plainly. In response, Beast Boy looked over his shoulder and examined the outfits. They looked normal, but something just didn't seem right. He couldn't find it in himself to place any trust in them... and he had no idea why. Giving up, Beast Boy returned to the group, mumbling under his breath.

"So, I guess we'll be working alongside you guys from now on," said Robin, looking up at the tall guard.

"I'll look forward to it," responded the Sentinel, turning around to face his comrades. "Let's move out. Back to headquarters," he commanded.

"Sir!" shouted the other guards simultaneously. At that, the guards formed an organized group and exited the area in a militaristic fashion. Beast Boy eyed them curiously on their exit.

"A little tall for a storm trooper..." Beast Boy commented quietly with narrowed eyes as the leading guard passed him by.

"Man, what's your problem?" Cyborg asked after a few moments, giving Beast Boy a look of disbelief.

"Come on! Even if they are the good guys... Don't you see what's going on here?" he asked everyone; all remained clueless, waiting for him to answer his own question. "They're trying to replace us!" Beast Boy shouted, waving his arms about wildly. In response, most of the group broke out into a good amount of laughter.

Robin shook his head. "Beast Boy. We've always had a police force," he said, stifling his amused voice.

"That's my point," responded the green Titan. "We've always had a police force. And since when have they _ever_ saved our butts? Isn't it usually the other way around?"

"That may be true, but these guys are different, remember?" Robin queried. "And we just happened to run into something they were after."

"Yeah. Shouldn't you be happy about this? I mean, if these guys are good enough, we're gonna have a lot more free time on our hands," said Cyborg, grinning at the thought of extra time to work on his car, play video games, and train. "But that's probably just wishful thinking... odds are, nothing's gonna change. Since when are we that lucky?" he chuckled to himself, slumping his shoulders forward.

Raven suddenly stepped forward. "Is it that you think they're trying to replace us, or are you just angry that they stole our victory?" she asked in a monotone.

"I..." Beast Boy trailed off, lifting a finger in the air to retort. He couldn't argue with that. She may have been right... Beast Boy let his arms fall limply at his sides. "Yeah... I guess you guys are right. What am I worried about anyway?" he asked, looking back to see several white figures retreating toward the city through the trees.

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**Author's Note: **First off, I'd like to say I'm sorry this took so long. I finally got the whole story for this thing worked out in my head—all I need to do now is write it. The chapters will probably be shorter than my last fic. Hehe, no more 10,000 worders this time XD. Of course, that means that updates will most likely be speedier this time around. However, I seem to be having more of a life lately, so I can't make any guarantees...

I've been wanting to write this one since I saw "Things Change," and I hope this meets your expectations. I'm gonna try to stay more with the show than ever before.

I know in my last "Next Fan Fiction Preview" I talked about a new setting. Well, I ditched that idea in favor of this one, which I feel has a lot more heart. Hopefully you'll understand what I mean by the end :D.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Forget Me Not. There will be more to come.

**Next Chapter Preview: **"Sometimes, things happen that seem so far out of your hands... All you can do is sit and watch from your tower as life carries on without you, as the world moves on and forgets. Who knew there would come a time... when heroes are no longer needed." Chapter Two: Face the Truth.


	2. Face the Truth

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

**Thanks:**

-EHWIES, for helping me with my grammar issues ;).

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Chapter Two: Face The Truth

A cool wind swept through the forest and between the many tree trunks, creating a subtle whistling breeze. Above, the branches of pines swayed ever so slightly, sending an almost effervescent sound throughout the canopy, like the crashing of ocean waves against a rocky shore. As the leaves of tall flora moved about, bright rays of midday sun passed through their apertures, striking the forest floor in stray places. The day was bright and new, the wind was cool and fresh, and the Titans were in no hurry to get home.

Walking at the far end of the group, collecting his thoughts, Beast Boy looked forward and examined the attitudes of his teammates. Robin and Starfire--leading the group forward toward the city--were engrossed in some manner of conversation, smiles painted across their faces. Cyborg remained just behind the leaders, taking in the scenery as he moved along, an ironic thing to do, considering he was essentially the antipode of nature. Raven was off to the side of the group, remaining quiet as she ambled across the grass and dirt of the forest floor, face catering to a plain yet almost peaceful expression. She may have been good at hiding it, but she was clearly enjoying the situation as much as the others.

Kicking his foot at a small rock as he passed it by, Beast Boy wondered what was keeping him from joining his friends in good spirits. He had found a way he could possibly come to peace with the Terra situation... in time. Though he couldn't keep them from his mind, he knew he was probably overreacting to the presence of Sentinel. These things made him realize his worries were much ado about nothing. Making up his mind, he decided to toughen up and just get back to being himself.

Leaping to the front of the group with a big smile on his face, Beast Boy began walking backwards while facing everyone else. "To celebrate our _victory_..." he started with a sarcastic joke, "what do you say we all go to the pizza place? My treat," he suggested. In response, the others stood still and stared blankly for a moment. Beast Boy wondered what he had said wrong. Before long, everyone showed expressions of agreement.

Starfire descended from the air after being delighted by the thought of returning to one of their favorite places after so long. "A splendid idea! I cannot wait to sample my favorite toppings once again," she exclaimed, clapping her hands together, eyes alight at the nearly nostalgic thoughts.

One of Robin's eyes twitched at the same memories Starfire recalled. "Yeah, sounds great," he said, hoping that Starfire would have her own pizza for topping experiments.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," said Raven, walking toward the others, "but that _does _sound good," she admitted. It wasn't the thought of pizza that made her agree, but the idea of doing something normal after the seemingly endless slew of traveling and fights they had endured over the past couple of months. It also relieved her, though she wasn't about to admit it, to see Beast Boy happy again. It was odd to go an hour without his dumb jokes... and even his annoying quirks.

"Well, all right!" Cyborg shouted enthusiastically, walking up to Beast Boy's side. "But, considering you don't have enough money," he teased with a grin on his face, elbowing the changeling, "how 'bout we split it five ways?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Beast Boy waved his friend away with his hand, carrying a tone of voice that sounded annoyed... yet unable to argue. Just then, the Titans' eyes widened as their communicators rang in the familiar trouble alert.

"It'll have to wait," said Robin, opening his communicator to view the details of the alert. "There's trouble downtown... by the pizza place," he explained, stumbling with his words as he recognized the identified area.

"This day just keeps gettin' better!" Cyborg exclaimed, charging his cannon with a competitive grin. "First we kick butt. Then we eat."

"As usual," Beast Boy commented, stretching out his limbs in preparation for yet another fight.

- - - - - -

A loud crash erupted from the second level of a triangular-shaped building that acted as a sort of fork in the road. From the street below, a circular table and the large umbrella attached to it could suddenly be seen falling from the building's open upper level. The table landed, smoothly due to the umbrella, on the hood of a car stationary at a red light. Confused, the driver poked his head out the window and raised an eyebrow at the restaurant table perched on his car's hood. His attention turned upward and out the passenger-side window as more commotion erupted from the adjacent pizza place.

Several people stood, more annoyed than frightened, on the end of the upper deck closest to the doors, many wiping the remains of their meals from their faces. They stared across the overturned tables to the building's vertex where a portly, orange-haired man stood, clicking away at a small black object in his hand.

"Tell me you don't have stuffed-crust now!" cackled Control Freak, aiming his remote at the many pizzas now strewn across the platform. With the click of a button, the pizzas seemed to take on a life of their own... toppings forming angry faces and limbs. Several slices began to walk across the ground toward the crowd, growling, high-pitched and indistinct. Too flabbergasted to stick around, the crowd and the staff of the pizza place bolted through the glass doors, exiting the area in a timely fashion. Control Freak assumed a victory pose and let out another amused chuckle until he heard the patter of familiar footsteps approaching from the main street below.

"You're the only criminal we know who'd try to rob a pizza place. Unfortunately, you won't be paying bail with that," said Robin as he and the Titans came to a stop a good distance from the building.

"Hah! I just knew you'd show up!" shouted Control Freak, jumping up onto the stone railing that surrounded the upper level. "I can take you all on," he boasted, pointing a thumb at himself triumphantly.

"Psh. You and what army?" asked Beast Boy defiantly.

"Oh, just this one." Control Freak widened his eyes and his grin. Pointing his remote over his shoulder, he clicked down a single button. Less than a moment later, a nearly countless amount of living pizza slices leaped up onto the railing, staring angrily through their odd looking faces.

"Well, I lost my appetite..." said Raven, making a disgusted expression under her hood.

"That is most disturbing..." added Starfire as she hovered above the others, a look of utter confusion on her face.

Slapping a hand over his mouth, Cyborg attempted to keep from bursting into hysterics. However, it was no use. Immediately, the sound of unrestrained laughter erupted from his position. Quickly, Cyborg held on to his sides to steady himself. "An army of pizza slices?" he questioned, wiping a tear away from the fringe of his human eye as he finally calmed down. "Got any bread sticks with that?" he asked, holding back another chortle.

"Zombie pizzas...? I think my worst fear has just been realized..." said Beast Boy, staring at the creatures on both sides of Control Freak. "You know we can't tip you for this, right?"

"Oh, don't worry," responded Control Freak with narrowed eyes and a sinister toothy grin, pointing his remote down at the Titans. "If the pizza manages to beat you, delivery's free--" Suddenly, a loud bang echoed across the emptied streets followed by a whistling ricochet. As the remote flew from his grip, spinning out of control at high velocity, Control Freak pulled his hand back and examined it with twitching eyes—a burning sensation rushed across his fingers like something had barely missed them. "Ouch!" He winced, before realizing what had happened. "My remote!" shouted Control Freak, staring with wide eyes as the device finally struck the ground in the distance, breaking into several pieces on impact. At that, the pizza slices surrounding him lost their sentience, falling flat on the railing, some sliding over the edge to descend toward the sidewalk below.

Control Freak turned his head upward, scanning the surrounding rooftops. To the east, a shiny object on one roof caught his eye as it reflected the sunlight. "Huh...?" His speech trailed off as he turned his attention away from the Titans to stare at the rooftop.

"Um... What just--" started Beast Boy, quickly cut off by another loud bang.

A single rope with two metal weights attached on its ends was suddenly launched at Control Freak, tightly wrapping itself around the unsuspecting criminal's lower legs in an instant. With little more than a squeaky gasp, Control Freak lost his balance and fell forward over the railing. Fortunately for him, an awning just above the building's lower entrance caught his form like a trampoline, sending him back up into the air... and finally to the sidewalk below where he landed on his stomach with a thump and an expulsion of air, appearing to pass out from the shock. An armored police van from just down the street suddenly swerved up to the scene, parking beside the concrete walkway Control Freak had landed on. Several officers—which the Titans immediately recognized as Sentinel—exited the vehicle and gathered around their target, quick and efficient like a SWAT team, weapons at the ready.

A bit of mechanically distorted laughter turned everyone's attention to the rooftop Control Freak had been staring at. Dropping down from the roof to the sidewalk, much to the awe of a group of citizen bystanders, a shining figure took the stage, decked out in armor of precisely the same fashion as the other Sentinels. From the body-type and build, it was obvious that this guard was female. Carrying a large white rifle over her shoulder, the Sentinel continued across the street to the pizza place, the bright red glass of her faceplate catching the sunlight as she did so.

"Not again..." Beast Boy muttered under his breath, hoping the others wouldn't hear.

Kneeling down, the female Sentinel quickly slapped a pair of cuffs over Control Freak's hands. "All right, pizza boy," she said, lifting him up effortlessly by the collar with one hand. "Looks like you just made your last delivery," she spoke in a sly tone, tossing the befuddled Control Freak into the back of the van. "You know where to take 'im." She motioned a thumb at the van, turning to face the other guards.

"Yes, sir!" they responded in unison, each striking a salute before filing back into the police vehicle. As the back doors closed with the still unconscious criminal inside, the van took off and eventually disappeared down the road, heading in the direction of the city's jail.

"Phew..." started the remaining Sentinel as she looked at the area surrounding the pizza place, attaching the rifle to a holster on her back. "What a mess..." she said, placing a hand on the back of her helmet.

"Okay," said Beast Boy, turning to face Robin. "Look me in the eye and tell me that didn't make you even a little mad." Beast Boy pointed to one of his eyes.

"What do you mean?" Robin arched an eyebrow, looking down at the changeling.

"_Looks like you just made your last delivery_," Beast Boy mocked. "She totally stole your line." With a grimace, he pointed over his shoulder at the guard.

Narrowing his eyes, Robin slumped forward in defeat. "Am I that predictable?" he asked his team.

"Sometimes," said Cyborg.

"A little," added Raven.

Turning away, Starfire pretended she had not heard anything, in an attempt to spare Robin's dignity. "Um... perhaps we should show our gratitude to this person?" she suggested nervously, pointing over to the sidewalk.

"And... maybe we should get out of the street as well..." said Raven, bringing attention to the many car horns now honking behind them. Traffic had already begun to resume its normal course. At the rather good point Raven brought up, the Titans quickly scurried over to the sidewalk in a group, letting the cars drive through the streets once again.

Much to Beast Boy's dismay, Cyborg began to approach the Sentinel, obviously ready to issue some manner of grateful gesture. "Hey, that's the second time today you guys helped us out," he said with a smile. Shaking his head, Beast Boy wondered how the others could stand the presence of these... intruders.

"Huh?" The female officer's posture straightened as she looked up from the mess of pizza surrounding the building. "Ah, right, the Titans," she said, turning around and resting a hand on her hip. "You... probably wanted to get that guy. I guess I beat ya to him. Sorry."

"No, no. Do not apologize," Starfire floated up to the front of the group. "You were merely performing your vocation."

"Either way he would have ended up in jail. Thanks again," added Robin.

"Again?" The soldier tapped on the side of her mask, attempting to think back. "I don't think we've ever met before..."

"It was one of yours, another Sentinel. He helped us out just a little while ago," said Cyborg, pausing as he realized the guard didn't seem to understand who he was talking about. "...Guy with blue glass on his mask." Cyborg tapped on the side of his head to illustrate his meaning.

Much to everyone's surprise, the Sentinel let out a pronounced laugh, shoulders arched backward as a result. "**He **helped you?" she asked, calming herself though still sounding quite amused. "Had to have been luck. His color really ought to be green, 'cause that's just what he is. I bet he didn't even tell you his code name, did he?" she asked in an entertained tone.

"Uh... no," Cyborg responded, surprised to see such a flamboyant character in a police officer.

"You can call him Blue. He leads a squad on the east end of the City," she explained, noticing the expressions of the Titans now seemed to ask about her. "Me, I'm Red." She pointed to her mask. "I watch the central zone."

"Wow... you guys really have everything all set up, don't you?" Beast Boy questioned in an unmistakable tone from his position behind the others, crossing his arms. He stared at the officer from under narrowed eyebrows, his face turned away slightly.

"Eh...?" the Sentinel appeared to be trying to understand what she just heard. "Well, not really. We only recently got the company stable enough to start patrols."

"How convenient."

"Anyway," said Robin, speedily stepping in before some kind of conflict could erupt, "we appreciate any help you can give us." He managed a smile, nervously blocking Beast Boy from the woman's view.

"Sure thing," replied the Sentinel, obviously unaffected by Beast Boy's odd behavior. "Hey, maybe next time you'll beat me to the punch." Turning around, the woman gestured a goodbye with her hand, making her way down the street. Far away, she began to resume her patrol.

As soon as the woman was out of view, Robin narrowed his eyes and turned around, shooting daggers at his teammate. "I don't get you. I know you have a problem with authority, but... just what are you trying to do?" he questioned, clearly attempting to hold back a much louder voice.

"Look," Beast Boy started, backing away with arms held up defensively, "I just don't trust them. And no amount of them swooping in all hero-like is gonna change that. That kind of thing makes them even more suspicious."

"You're right." Raven suddenly stepped into the conversation, shocking everyone with her words of agreement. "Their sudden appearance did seem suspicious at first. I had my doubts about their intentions. But both times these people showed up, I could sense no ill will from them."

"Yeah... but..."

"You're frustrated about... something else." Raven chose her words carefully. Beast Boy had almost gone back to normal and she didn't want to risk ruining that. "And... you seem to be taking those frustrations out on them because it's convenient for you."

"Raven..." Beast Boy looked at his friend in disbelief. "How could you say that?" he asked, suddenly feeling a strong hand grasp his shoulder. He turned to see Cyborg looking down at him with a half smile.

"I can't blame you. Heck, if I was in your situation, I'd be doing the same thing," he said, turning his face to look at Robin. "We all would." Hearing those words, Robin relaxed his stance and stepped away from Beast Boy, unable to argue.

"Friend. We cannot force you to trust them," said Starfire, walking up beside Cyborg. "But... perhaps you could try not to provoke them?" she suggested, sending Beast Boy a pleading glance.

"I..." Beast Boy began to retort. But, looking at all his friends, after hearing their individual points, he almost felt like they were right... He still had no idea why he harbored such animosity. It was like some strange instinct that surfaced only when those... _people_ were around. Maybe from his animal sides? A canine distrust of strangers? Beast Boy shook his head... those were questions with no possible answer. "You're right..." Beast Boy gave up, lowering his shoulders. "I'll... try not to get so defensive around 'em," he said, cracking a small smile that suddenly grew right along with a funny thought. "But let's just hope my animal sides don't take over, or you guys might be paying for my bail." Beast Boy grinned widely, wondering why he didn't foresee the following silence.

"Yeah, let's hope," Cyborg grimaced, shaking his head at Beast Boy.

"Ah, c'mon. It was a joke," pleaded Beast Boy, his grin fading away.

"And that's why there was no laughter," Raven commented sardonically. "What's different about that?"

With a wide frown, Beast Boy tilted his face forward in defeat. Turning around, he looked toward the pizza place. "So... pizza, anyone?" he asked, scratching the back of his head.

"...Something tells me they're not in the mood to be selling anyone pizza right now," said Robin, looking to the street at a man in the process of pulling a restaurant table away from his car.

"How 'bout we just head home?" suggested Cyborg. "It's been a long couple of days." Suddenly, Cyborg let out an odd sounding chuckle. "I just wish I had brought the T-Car... Looks like we're gonna have to walk back."

Robin sighed, looking west toward the bay. "Let's get going then..." he said, still plenty exhausted from the fight with the creature earlier in the day. Robin began walking to the crosswalk that connected the pizza place to the adjacent sidewalk, joined quickly by Starfire and Cyborg.

"All right..." said Beast Boy, looking away from the pizza place. Slightly disappointed, he turned to the others and started to follow them.

Raven stood still for a moment, indecisive, wanting to apologize for her harsh words earlier. Beast Boy seemed to have been fine with it, but Raven's conscience had gotten the best of her due to Starfire's advice. "Wait. Beast Boy--"

"I'm sorry," said Beast Boy, shocking Raven to no end. He turned around to see Raven fixing a surprised expression back to normal. "You were right... I really had no excuse for the way I was acting. I mean, they were just doing their jobs..." Beast Boy's expression was soft yet serious, showing that he really meant what he was saying. "It's like you said. I was probably just frustrated because--"

"Stop that," ordered Raven, shaking her head. "There's no need to apologize, and no need to be so... serious," she spoke, nearly choking on the word 'serious' when using it to describe Beast Boy. "You should just... be yourself," she said, walking up to the crosswalk. Beast Boy followed, now traveling at her side.

"Wait... Are you saying you'd prefer a joke from me?"

"...Let's not go _that_ far."

- - - - - -

Traveling along the sidewalk, the Titans looked up to the sky. The clouds were beginning to take on an slight yellow glow as the sun moved closer to the ocean. The sky itself was interrupted by the tall buildings that stretched upward. All around, the streets were quiet and few cars passed through their lanes. A warm breeze swept through the area, bringing with it the pungent scent of the city. Each Titan smiled in his or her own way, simply happy to be home, even if there had been a little trouble and a few changes.

The quiet atmosphere was quickly shattered as a loud rumble resonated from further down the street. Accompanying the sound, a large plume of dust escaped from the side of a building where a gaping hole had been created on the wall. Pieces of stone settled into place around the hole. At the sight of this, people who had been near the area began clearing away, standing at a distance to examine what had happened.

With a ground shaking thump, a large body—no different in color than the blocks of stone that had been strewn outward—stepped back-first out of the hole in the building. Even at this distance, the Titans could recognize the figure.

"Cinderblock!" shouted Robin, beginning to run forward, looking back at his team. "Come on, let's--"

"Uh, Robin..." Cyborg stood still, pointing a finger toward the scene.

"What?" Robin halted, turning to see what Cyborg thought was more important than stopping Cinderblock. "Oh..." Robin let his speech trail off, seeing a single Sentinel follow Cinderblock out of the hole.

The officer's green face plate caught the sunlight for an instant as he charged toward the massive creature, pulling his arm back for a punch. The man's attack struck Cinderblock with a surprising amount of force, enough to send the monster back a few steps, stumbling over its own feet.

"He might still need our help. Let's go!" said Robin, continuing on his way. Nodding in agreement, the others followed after Robin, getting up closer to the scene of the fight. As soon as they reached the fray, something happened that none of them expected.

"You kids stay back!" shouted the Sentinel, throwing another punch Cinderblock's way. "I don't need your help!" he spoke in voice rife with arrogance. After taking a step back, he threw himself forward, ramming Cinderblock's abdomen with his shoulder. The immense stone creature tripped and fell flat on his back in the middle of the street.

Deciding to ignore the man, Robin charged forward, halting as someone took hold of his arm. Robin turned back, surprised to see Beast Boy had stopped him. "Beast Boy. What are you--"

"Why don't we let this guy learn a lesson?" he asked with a grin. "When Cinderblock really starts fighting, he'll be asking for our help in no time."

"Right." Robin cracked a smile, relaxing his stance. Standing a good distance from the fight, but still ready for anything, the Titans decided to watch and let the man find out on his own that he was in over his head.

While Cinderblock was down for the count, the green Sentinel rushed over to a nearby lamppost. To everyone's amazement, he tore the lamppost from the ground in one quick movement, taking a bit of concrete with it. The nearby crowds let out impressed gasps at this supernatural feat.

Growling, Cinderblock began to push his arms against the ground, lifting himself off his back. Before the monster could stand up completely, he was struck on the face by the steel of a lamppost. With a groan, Cinderblock crashed back to the ground, clearly losing consciousness.

Laughing victoriously, the Sentinel took his next opportunity. Quickly, he placed the long lamppost on ground so it was perpendicular to Cinderblock's height. Grunting, he shoved the post forward, sliding it under the giant, causing a loud scraping against the asphalt. Taking hold of one end of the post, he quickly twisted it across Cinderblock's form, binding his arms in place. Stepping over his downed opponent, he repeated his actions with the other end of the post, this time wrapping it around Cinderblock's legs.

Looking over his success for a moment, the man suddenly stepped up on to Cinderblock's form and raised a fist high into the air, white armor shining in the sunlight. Seeing this, the crowd erupted into cheers and applause... as the Sentinel had apparently assumed they would.

"...What was that about him asking for our help, again?" questioned Cyborg, looking forward in astonishment with the others. Nearly forgetting about the man's previous egotistical attitude, the Titans rushed forward, thinking that he at least deserved a little respect for being able to take down Cinderblock on his own. A little less amused, Beast Boy and Raven stayed behind, slowly following after their friends.

"That was amazing!" shouted Cyborg, rushing up to the triumphant guard. The Sentinel merely let out a low chuckle and turned his face to the Titans, bringing his arm back down to his side.

"Incredible that you were able to defeat him on your own," said Starfire, floating beside the others.

"Yeah... Cinderblock's tough," added Robin, looking at the monster who let out a defeated groan. "How'd you manage that?"

"Hmph," scoffed the Sentinel in a tone no different than what had been heard of him so far. "You won't be thinking that way for long," he said condescendingly, looking over each of the Titans with his head held high. "This suit offers the best in strength-enhancing technology. Of course, not just anyone could use it properly," he boasted, pointing to himself.

"...Who are you, anyway?" Robin queried, more than a little annoyed by the man's behavior.

"My code name's Green. But _you _can call me..." he trailed off, making sure to eye each and every one of the Titans, "a _real _hero," he said, sounding about amused enough to be punched in the face. "You see, I don't need a squad to back me up. I'm a real one man army."

"All right, man," Cyborg stepped forward, pointing a finger up at the egotist. "You should be careful about how you talk. The higher you build yourself up, the more it'll hurt when you fall."

"Ouch. Sounds like I struck a nerve." The man chuckled through his mask. "Jealous?" he questioned, causing himself to receive a stern look from each Titan. "Face the truth. Now that I'm here to protect the city, you kids are old news." He tossed his head back, releasing a boisterous laugh. "Maybe you oughta quit your day job." Stepping down from Cinderblock, the guard turned away from the Titans, walking toward the sidewalk. "Later," he spoke without turning around, continuing on his way.

Gritting his teeth, Beast Boy clenched his fists tightly and took off toward the Sentinel, ready to show him what a real fight was like. Before getting too far, he found himself stopped by Cyborg, his shoulders grasped tightly by the mechanical Titan's grip.

"Don't waste your time on him. Guys like that always get what's coming to 'em. You'll see," said Cyborg, releasing Beast Boy, who had calmed down a little.

Sighing, Beast Boy turned to Raven. "Sense any _ill will _from him?" he asked, hoping for any reason to teach the guy a lesson.

"Unfortunately, no..." responded Raven in her usual voice, trying to mask her disappointment. Truly, she wished she had sensed something... then they would have an excuse to go after him. "Looks like he's just an idiot..."

- - - - - -

The setting sun cast an orange light through the large glass windows in the common room of Titans Tower, illuminating the empty area in the faint glow of day's end. Facing the windows, the Titans' arc-shaped sofa cast a long shadow along the floor's red carpet, reaching nearly across the entire room. Similar shadows were cast by every standing object in the room. Suddenly, the main doors slid open, revealing the Titans in the midst of a conversation.

"So one of 'em turned out to be a jerk..." Cyborg shrugged his shoulders. "One out of three isn't bad," he said, attempting to acknowledge the other... less swellheaded Sentinels they had met.

"Yeah... but that guy had the ego of six people, at least," argued Beast Boy.

Robin groaned under his breath, tired of discussing that man. "I'm gonna get some sleep. I'm sure we all could use a little rest," he said, looking at his friends through exhausted eyes. Turning away, Robin began walking to the hallway which led to the bedrooms, a subtle tired limp to his step.

"Agreed," said Starfire, looking out the windows at the waning light. "I shall retire as well." Starfire's eyes remained only partly open. Covering her mouth as she yawned, Starfire floated away, planning to simply collapse onto her bed as soon as she could locate it.

Cyborg looked at his right arm, somewhat amazed to see the time his computer displayed. "It's actually pretty late," he yawned, stretching his arms out. "Don't worry," said Cyborg, looking down at Beast Boy as he followed Robin and Starfire to the hall. "Won't be long before the guy tries to take on a real bad guy... that won't be pretty." Along with Robin and Starfire, Cyborg disappeared into the hall.

With an expression seeming confused between a smile and a frown, Beast Boy walked down the stairs into the living room, making his way over to the windows. He stood for a moment, watching as the sunlight caused the ocean to sparkle with countless bright orange waves.

"Karma..." said Raven from her position near the door, confusing Beast Boy a little.

"Huh?" Beast Boy turned his head to face her, arching an eyebrow as she moved closer.

"It's what keeps the world at balance. It makes sure people receive no less than what they give, in one form or another," explained Raven, now standing beside Beast Boy, looking out at the bay as well.

"What do you mean?"

"If that man continues this way... he'll probably be struck by lightning some day soon," said Raven, smirking as she looked toward Beast Boy.

Beast Boy chuckled heavily, his grin causing his eyes to close. "Well, then I guess we should just let Karma do its job," he said, opening his eyes to look forward again.

"I know that's not the only thing worrying you..." Raven quickly looked away, eyes focusing on the area around the setting sun. "With so many changes... it seems bad right now. But just give it some time... things have a way of turning around." Raven heard Beast Boy chuckle at her words. "What?" she asked, looking him in the eyes.

"I would have never pegged you as an optimist." Beast Boy grinned widely as he faced Raven. The empath gave him a stern look in response to his comment. "So if you say it... it must be true. Thanks." Letting the sun's warmth envelope his face, Beast Boy smiled brightly for what felt like the first time in quite a while.

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**Author's Note:** I know this chapter wasn't much longer than the last one, and I still took a good while with it... That probably wouldn't have happened if I didn't run into a little writer's block along the way. It was one of those dumb little blocks... the kind that suddenly show up and make it exceedingly difficult for you to think up a way to get the Titans from point A to point B. When I say that, I mean it literally. I couldn't figure out a good way to get the Titans from the pizza place to the tower and introduce Red and Green at the same time XD. But I worked past it and, thankfully, didn't go over the time limit I set.

Anyway, getting back to the chapter... If you dislike Green in any way, then I've done my job with his character. He was meant to be one of the most disturbingly egotistical people you could possibly meet. A stark contrast to the apologetic Blue and even the eccentric Red.

Though they aren't the main focus, I do intend to give Robin and Starfire more 'screen time' eventually. So don't worry, I haven't forgotten about my favorite couple. But, aside from that, I am fully enjoying writing my first BBxRae-centric fic.

I hope you liked chapter two, but feel free to critique if you want. Reviews are very much appreciated. However, my thanks goes out to everyone, even if you don't review.

Oh, before I forget. When Red talked about Blue being 'green,' she meant it as in 'inexperienced.' In the military, those who are new or have little experience in battle are often referred to as 'green.' I assume this is because a synonym for green is: unripe (immature).

**Next Chapter Preview:** "Karma... what did we ever do to you? I know I've been told that things will turn around eventually... that things can't stay bad forever. But I won't stand by and watch while our place in the world is stolen away. I've always been one for talking, but actions speak louder than words." Chapter Three: Walk


	3. Walk

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Chapter Three: Walk

Several circular white lights stretched along the ceiling of a lengthy corridor, casting their dim glow down onto the reflective black floor below. The electric hum of the bulbs resonated through the area, bouncing off the sectioned steel walls on either side; their sound was prominent in the otherwise still silence that enveloped the hall. Two metal doors existed on both ends of the hallway, blocking unknown rooms from view. One door, however, had a marking on it: the words 'Operations Room' painted in black, centered on the upper half of the door.

Suddenly, the unmarked door slid open with a sound of air rushing inward quickly, revealing a figure of medium height standing in the entryway. Behind the figure, it was made clear that the door merged the hall into another one, connecting in a perpendicular fashion. Stepping forward into the corridor, the figure, obviously a young man, allowed the door to close behind him. He wore simple black attire: a long sleeved shirt with a high collar that covered part of his chin and a zipper that led down the front. Pants and shoes were of similar style to the shirt... a look that gave no indication of identity, yet established an image that was impossible to forget.

Footsteps began to echo through the length of hallway as the boy progressed forward to the marked door. He ran a hand through his short brown hair, scratching at his scalp with a bit of frustration. A small translucent computer disk in his left hand was the focus of his vexation. Looking down, he stared at the reflective surface of the circular object through narrowed blue eyes. Little could be read of the expression on his adolescent face... though his mind was prevalent with conflict.

The young man continued to eye the object in his hand thoughtfully as he traveled the remaining distance through the stretch of hallway. Coming to a stop in front of the marked door, he turned to face a small panel that resided on the right side of it. The fixture displayed a thin white outline of an opened hand on its contrasting black surface. Reaching out, the young man pressed his free palm against the panel. With a computerized beep of confirmation, the metal door slid open, revealing a pitch black room beyond the doorway. Nothing could be seen in the darkness, save for two small, white, glowing objects close to the ground several feet inward.

Suddenly, one glow rose several feet, nearly disappearing as footsteps began to echo from its position. A figure of similar height and attire to the one who had entered the room came into view, stepping into the light provided by the open doorway. He wore an odd looking mask which only covered the top half of his face. The guise had no eye holes, merely a rounded metal section where one would expect to see them. A faint light crept from under the mask, casting a glow onto the visible part of the man's face where a peculiar smile resided. Reaching up with both hands, the man removed the mask, revealing himself to be of similar age to the other boy as well. With a free hand, he pushed several strands of his messy, ash-blond hair away from his eyes.

"Do you have the data?" he asked simply, slightly arching an eyebrow. His mouth was a small smirk, revealing a bit of his closed teeth.

"Of course..." responded the first boy, lifting the disk into view where it caught the light from the hall. He looked at it once again—the object which harbored secrets he felt they should not be privy to. "Do you really need this?"

Reaching out, the blond boy snatched the disk out of his comrade's hand. "Everyone needs an insurance policy," he said, placing the disk possessively in his pocket. "Why? Lost your nerve?" he questioned downwardly.

"I just don't see the need for it. Things seem to be moving along well," responded the boy in the doorway.

"Like I said. It's just an option. As long as no _obstacles _present themselves, there'll be no need for this disk." The young man tapped on his pocket with his free hand, looking as though he was trying to confirm that the disk was still there.

"Information is a dangerous thing," warned the first boy with a serious expression. "We should know this by now." Turning around, he began walking back to the corridor. Stopping before he could pass through the doorway, the young man stared down the hall with a blank expression. "They're reaching the goal number," he spoke vaguely.

"Good. Then things _are _moving along well."

"There was one issue. An underground cave... like a lava flow... I discovered a small amount had been leaking down into it for quite some time."

"Any problems?"

"No... it was empty. Just a bunch of broken rocks, but..."

"Then no harm done," responded the other boy without care.

"We don't know that. The _harm_ could have gotten up and walked away. That substance..."

"Look, that's your department, not mine," the blond boy cut in. Lifting up his mask, he secured it over his face once again. "If you don't mind, I have things to attend to."

- - - - - -

_Beast Boy suddenly became aware of the blackness that surrounded him. Sitting on an unseen floor in the middle of nothing, he clutched his knees close to himself as an odd chill rolled through. Numerous unrecognizable voices chattered in the invisible distance, speaking to each other, colliding and conforming, so meshed that they could not be understood save for the occasional word or two. He couldn't understand them, but one thing was for sure: they were not speaking to him. Like the voices, time seemed to be running into itself as well. How long had he been sitting there? _

_Abruptly, a red light began to pulse somewhere up above, enveloping the entire area in its infrequent glow. An odd sound soon overtook the voices, drowning them out as it became more prominent._

Throwing himself forward, Beast Boy stood up quickly, feeling the top of his head collide harshly against a solid object. "Ouch," he grunted, speech slightly muffled by something. The sound from before continued to blare in his ears, though he found that he couldn't see anything. Moving his head about, he felt the presence of fabric against his face. Reaching up, he removed a blanket from his face and tossed it aside with an annoyed expression. For a moment, he massaged his scalp where it had struck the underside of the top bunk. He looked around through tired eyes at his room... until something finally caught his attention.

"The alarm!" he exclaimed, looking up at the pulsing red lights, the accompanying sound finally getting to him.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Beast Boy quickly stuffed his feet into his shoes, thankful he had decided to sleep in his uniform. Standing up, he rushed over the numerous piles of clothes strewn about the floor, stumbling over a few articles, for once wishing he had cleaned his room. Making it to his door, Beast Boy took a moment to recover from a head rush. Sliding the door open, he frantically raced through the hallway to the common room, wondering why the others hadn't tried to alert him yet. Turning the last corner, Beast Boy stopped at the hall's threshold. Somewhat out of breath, he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees.

Finally catching his breath, Beast Boy looked up at the living room and continued to walk down into it. "Guys, what's happen...ing?" Beast Boy stood in shock at what he saw.

Robin stood by the window, staring out at the bay, arms crossed, a peculiar expression on his face; he almost seemed angry, but at the same time, melancholy. Cyborg sat on the couch, slumped far back; with the remote in one hand, he appeared impatient as he stared at a map of the city displayed on the television. Starfire was surprisingly far away from everyone else, sitting at one of the tables, resting her chin in both palms, with an expression similar to Robin's... minus the anger. Raven sat at the tables with Starfire, reading a book; the flashing lights seemed to be getting on her nerves quite a bit, a visible vain on her temple.

Beast Boy looked around, thunderstruck, attention passing frantically from friend to friend as he wondered why they were all just sitting around. "Uh, guys, _hello_!" he called their attention, stepping up to the end of the couch where Cyborg sat. "The alarm." Beast Boy motioned both his hands at the lights, noticing Robin's neck tense up from where he stood.

"Wait for it..." said Cyborg, holding his index finger up in the air.

"What--"

"Wait for it..." Cyborg added another finger to the count... followed by another. Beast Boy stood in disbelief for a moment, but as soon as Cyborg's third finger went up, the alarm came to an end and the lights returned to normal. Suddenly, the television screen displayed the words 'Crisis Averted, Have a Nice Day' in large bold letters across the map.

"But... how did you know...?" Beast Boy raised a confused eyebrow.

"That's the fourth one since this morning... We almost made it to your door on the third..." Cyborg chuckled to himself a little, turning his attention away and clicking on the remote as the television finally resumed its normal state. Beast Boy looked over to see Robin's eyes narrowing at the window. "You must have been pretty tired, sleeping through it."

"It's them... isn't it?" asked Beast Boy, letting his shoulders fall forward.

"Who else would it be...?" Raven asked a sarcastic question, shutting her book and setting it down on the table as she stood up from her seat. She began walking over to the couch area along with Starfire, who followed close behind.

"Ah... jeez," said Cyborg, his human eye wincing as he accidentally switched the channel to the news. A report on _everyone's favorite newcomers _suddenly popped up. Quickly, Cyborg turned off the TV and tossed the remote aside. Raven and Starfire were now standing up near the windows, looking out. Cyborg stood up to join the others.

"So that's it?" Beast Boy questioned seriously. "You're just going to give up and let them... take our place?"

"What else is there for us to do?" Starfire asked, finding her way to Robin's side—where she felt most comfortable. She wanted to console her friends, wanted to say something that would raise their spirits... but she could find no words. The truth had fallen upon the tower like rain... in a storm that seemed relentless and intent on stirring the tides of change. "We cannot stop them. They are doing good..." said Starfire, motioning a hand at the city, "as much good as we have ever done."

"Star's right, BB. We don't really have a choice here. They're doing their jobs, and they're good at what they do..." Cyborg turned around and placed a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "I know it's hard... but we might just have to face the fact that... we may not be needed anymore."

Clenching his teeth, Beast Boy wrenched his shoulder away. "Things may change around us. But that doesn't mean we have to let it change _us_. There's always a choice... we just..."

"Beast Boy." Robin turned around, a serious expression painted across his face. "We're not giving up. We'll always be here if the city needs us."

"That's not true." Beast Boy squinted his eyes at Robin, trying to penetrate the obvious front his leader was giving. "If things cool down here, you're just gonna move on to somewhere else, and you know it," he commented, knowing it to be the truth. This information seemed to distress Starfire most of all, her face suddenly alight with worry. Unable to argue with Beast Boy, Robin looked away, expression unchanging.

"It's those guys... they're doing this." Beast Boy clenched his fists, looking at the ground with anger. "Something's just not right about them. Ever hear the phrase _'too good to be true'_?" he asked bitterly. "I don't care if you guys don't see it... I..." Relaxing himself, Beast Boy let out a breath. Turning around without another word, he began walking to the main doors.

"Where are you going?" asked Raven, speaking up after remaining intentionally out of the conversation. She watched as Beast Boy quietly continued on his way for a moment. Simply the way he walked implied that he was going to leave the tower... and she couldn't blame him for wanting to do so.

"I'm going..." Beast Boy trailed off, walking through the doors as they slid open, stepping into the hallway beyond, "for a walk," he finished, letting the doors slide shut behind him.

Robin stared at the doors for a moment, listening as Beast Boy's disgruntled footsteps faded away. Taking in a deep breath, he suddenly ventured toward the halls. "I'm gonna go... train..." he said, not making eye contact with anyone as he continued, wanting to take out his frustrations on a punching bag.

Cyborg stood still, unsure of what to think about the situation. He didn't want to admit it, he had been trying to tolerate Sentinel's presence thus far, but they were finally getting to him. It was ironic, as a person who protects a city for a living, to be frustrated by the fact that good things were being done... that the city was being protected. "Um... I think the T-Car's due for a tune-up," said Cyborg, quietly walking away.

Starfire remained stationary as the common room emptied of everyone but herself and Raven. "What has happened...?" she asked no one in particular. Her question had one sickening answer... an answer she knew but tried her best to keep from her thoughts. Despite her attempts to avoid it, the word _rekmas_ repeated itself continuously in Starfire's mind.

- - - - - -

Shifting out of hawk form, Beast Boy landed on the sidewalk that ran alongside the bay. For a moment, he looked back at the tower. Its presence, its image, was supposed give people hope, let them know that their city would always be safe... at least, that's how he had always seen it. But now... what was it? Just a big capital 'T' floating in the middle of the bay.

With a sigh, Beast Boy turned away and began walking down the sidewalk with no particular destination in mind. He felt bad for just leaving his friends like that... especially Raven, after what she told him that night. It felt like he was running away from his problems. If another alert sounded in the tower, it would only remind him of how useless he felt. He _was _running away, and he knew it.

Beast Boy looked up to the sky as he moved along. He hadn't realized it before, but the day was already nearing noon. At the peak of its arc, high in the nearly cloudless blue, the sun radiated a warm glow down upon the stretches of city. Finding its way through the forest of buildings, a heated inshore breeze swept over the area, interrupted occasionally by the cars rushing through the streets. Tiny waves of heat blurred the small images in the sun-washed distance. It was a peaceful day, the kind of day when it seemed nothing could go wrong. Beast Boy had little doubt that it wasn't one of those days... with the city's _new heroes_ on the job. Still... something wasn't right... and hadn't been since they showed up.

Looking around, Beast Boy realized he had ventured into the city, leaving the bay a good distance behind. It wasn't until he reached a newly constructed building that he realized, with very little enthusiasm, exactly where he was. The ground that led to the main doors was still unfinished, rocks and gravel waiting to be paved over with concrete, but the building seemed complete now. Tall, rising much higher than the establishments that surrounded it, the complex had an almost unnecessary amount of floors. It seemed less like a building and more like a statement. They had moved in so fast, built over several shops, and already Sentinel's headquarters was finished.

Just above the new building's reflective glass doors, the word 'SENTINEL' was emblazoned in the stone of the wall. It frustrated Beast Boy to no end... seeing that name, enormous, carved into the stone, front and center like it actually meant something. Gritting his teeth, Beast Boy reached down and picked up a medium-sized pebble; tossing it up in the air and catching it a few times, he found a smirk suddenly grow on his face. Pulling his arm back, Beast Boy launched the stone at the building with a force fueled by his contempt. Immediately, Beast Boy hid his head under his shoulders as the rock struck one of the doors and actually broke right through it, creating a small jagged hole in the glass. Swallowing hard, Beast Boy rushed over to the adjacent building on his right and pressed himself up against its front wall, carefully peering around the corner.

"Guys, look! It's really him!" came a small voice from just behind Beast Boy.

"Gah! It was an accident, I swear!" Beast Boy turned around and held his hands up, shutting his eyes. Carefully opening one of his eyes to a squint, Beast Boy looked down to see three young children, who couldn't be older than elementary school age, staring up at him with awe. One boy stood in front, short spiky brown hair, wearing a purple shirt and black shorts. The second, in the back, was a slightly taller, slightly chubby boy; with buzz-cut blond hair, he wore slack brown pants, a white t-shirt, and a stupefied expression. The third was a girl with long brunette hair; she wore a yellow dress and held a sparkle in her eyes. All three looked rather impressed at Beast Boy's presence.

"See, I told ya," said the brown-haired kid.

"Oh... phew," said Beast Boy, wiping some sweat from his forehead. "What is it? Is there trouble somewhere?" he asked, looking around the area, suddenly serious.

"No way, boss," responded the boy, shaking his head. "It's just that it's not every day you get to see your favorite Titan," the kid spoke with enthusiasm.

"_I'm_ your favorite?" Beast Boy questioned with a grin, feeling his ego suddenly grow several notches. "Oh, it's because I'm funny, right?" he asked, pointing a thumb at himself.

"Nah. It's because, when I grow up... I wanna be green, just like you," replied the boy.

"Huh?" Beast Boy crossed his eyes in confusion.

"Gotcha!" the boy exclaimed, clutching his sides, restraining his laughter The kids behind him derived a good amount of amusement out of this as well.

Finally coming out of his stupor, Beast Boy chuckled. "Hey, you're pretty good," he said, looking at the boy's friends who had laughed at his joke... realizing it was more than he could usually say for himself.

"Well, I learned from the best." The boy displayed a wide grin, one that caused his eyes to squint.

"Heh, well, I guess it _is _good to set your sights high," said Beast Boy, displaying a similar grin.

The girl suddenly elbowed her friend in the side. "Hey, you were right. He really _is _funny," she commented.

Feeling his ego deflate a bit, Beast Boy let his grin slowly disappear. "Wait..." he started, looking back down at the kids, "shouldn't you be in school right now?" he asked.

"Um... it's Saturday, boss," stated the boy, laughing to himself a little. "But we do have to get back to fighting the villains," he said, turning around to face his friends. "Titans, together!" he shouted, throwing a fist up in the air. At that, the three kids proceeded to rush down the sidewalk away from Beast Boy, all the while waving goodbye to him until they disappeared around the corner.

"..._I _have fans?" Beast Boy asked himself, blinking several times as he stood completely still. "I have fans!" he shouted triumphantly, hands in the air, ready to start a victory dance. It felt like he was still important, like Sentinel hadn't stolen everything away from the Titans. It was at this moment he realized he felt a similar joy when Raven told him things would work out eventually. He knew for sure she was right.

Beast Boy smiled. Looking down the road, he saw patches of green in the distance: the park. With a little more exuberance to his step than before, Beast Boy began walking down the sidewalk, deciding the park seemed like a good place to get his mind off certain things. As soon as the buildings disappeared and Beast Boy stepped onto the first grassy field of the park, he took in a deep breath of the fresh air.

As he looked around the area, something immediately caught Beast Boy's eyes. A nearby weaponless Sentinel was patrolling the sidewalk that encircled the park—one of the codename-less, generic guards that usually ran in squads. Shrugging his shoulders, Beast Boy decided to pay it no mind. He realized he had little to be frustrated about at that moment.

The loud barking of a dog turned Beast Boy's attention back to the park—in fact, it turned many people's attention. A golden retriever had apparently gotten loose from its owner, now racing its way up the hill that led to the street, its red leash dragging behind it. For a moment, Beast Boy looked a little worried. Traffic in the streets was moving fast. However, as soon as he saw the dog was heading in the Sentinel's direction, he relaxed, knowing it would be taken care of.

In a strange turn of events, the loudly barking dog rushed right by the Sentinel, nearly stepping on his feet, yet the man did nothing... not even turn his head to see what the commotion was. Beast Boy's eyes widened as the dog entered the street, finding itself in the path of an oncoming truck. The Sentinel continued on his way like nothing was happening. Too far away to do anything, Beast Boy watched in shock as the truck honked its horn loudly and swerved out of the way as the dog froze in place. With a ground shaking crash, the wayward vehicle slammed into the wall of a nearby building, coming to a violent stop. From within the hole in the wall, the truck's horn continued to blare, the driver apparently knocked out and leaning against it. Stopping to bark at the truck, the dog quickly raced back into the park. It was only now that the Sentinel turned around to face the situation... rushing over to the truck, he pulled the unconscious driver out quickly and began to speak into some sort of communication device. Minutes later, an ambulance was on the scene.

Beast Boy had remained still the entire time, dumbfounded. "What the...?" he trailed off, staring at the Sentinel as he helped the man into the ambulance.

- - - - - -

Robin stopped for a moment to catch his breath. Standing in the training room in front of a tall punching bag which hung from the ceiling, he rested his hands on his knees and breathed deeply. Leaving no more time for rest, he forced himself to get up, dealing several harsh strikes to bag with frustrated growls.

He didn't know why he was so upset. Robin struck the punching bag once again, sending it forward quite a distance. Things were being done, villains were being stopped... the city was safe. And yet... for all intents and purposes, he was imagining the punching bag as a... certain Sentinel. Gritting his teeth, Robin sent a powerful strike forward. Waking Robin from his fit of rage, the punching bag—as he struck it—broke free from the ceiling, flying a surprising distance across the room to where it would collide with a rack full of weights. Robin winced once for each consecutive weight that fell from the rack and hit the ground.

Massaging the back of his neck, Robin let out a breath and looked to the room's door as the dust finally settled.

- - - - - -

Starfire remained in her room with the curtains drawn, contemplating certain things in the peaceful silence. Standing in front of her bed, she held a reflective object in her hands. She stared down at the photograph within the glass frame, smiling at the memories it presented.

_The tower had just been finished, its presence rising in the background, stationary against a sunny blue sky. Five friends who had come to call themselves the Teen Titans were standing just outside the door, posing for the camera. On the left side of the group, Beast Boy was leaning forward with an enormous grin, attempting be prominent in the picture. A contrast to Beast Boy's presence, Raven was located just beside him, a small but visible smile on her face. Cyborg stood tall between the two opposites, resting his hands on their shoulders; he smiled enthusiastically, obviously proud of that which he helped to create: the tower. Standing near the right side of the group, Robin had his attention on the red-haired girl next to him, looking a little amused. Starfire's eyes were wide and shocked... at the time she had little experience with human picture-capturing devices and so did not expect one to flash in such a manner... especially all on its own._

Starfire covered her mouth as a single, uncontrollable laugh escaped. Unexpectedly, her eyes began to sting at that precise moment. Sniffing, she tried to hold back her sudden tears. Setting the picture down on her bed, Starfire reached up and wiped the moisture from her eyes, attempting to calm herself. With a sigh, she turned to face the door.

- - - - - -

Staring down into the open hood of the T-Car, Cyborg continued to fasten several loose bolts back into place with a wrench. He had already checked the entire car over several times... and nothing was in need of fine-tuning despite what he had told the others as an excuse to leave the living room. He now had a new respect for Beast Boy, who was able to openly voice his frustrations, act as though there was still something that could be done... though there clearly wasn't. It was over. The Titans were finally finished... and not violently by a villain or disaster too terrible to handle... but quietly, overnight, by the mere presence of new protectors. Anticlimactic and ironic.

Cyborg slowly stopped twisting the wrench as the current bolt refused to turn any further. Resting his hands on the edges of the hood, he looked down with closed eyes, breathing exasperated breaths as thoughts of the earlier alarms ran through his mind. As though something had suddenly snapped inside of him, Cyborg tightened his grip on the wrench.

"What am I even doing here!" he shouted angrily, turning around and hurling the wrench across the room. The airborne tool spun wildly and struck the far wall, bouncing around noisily until it finally settled into place on the ground. Standing still and quiet for a moment, Cyborg finally relaxed, letting out a breath through his nose. Over his shoulder, he took notice of the elevator. It was time to stop running.

- - - - - -

"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos," chanted Raven, hovering over her bed, fingers pressed against her temples in an attempt to retain focus. Even so, she quickly found that her mind was too preoccupied by prevailing circumstances for the meditation to help. With a exhalation, Raven opened her eyes and lowered herself to stand on the floor. She didn't mind it much—not having things being interrupted frequently by every idiot who decided to rob a bank; it was rather peaceful... but something was missing. Without actually being there to stop the crimes, a certain sense of accomplishment was lost. The last 24 hours had been tainted with stale victories.

Aside from the obvious concerns, there was something else on Raven's mind. Beast Boy. And this time, for once, it wasn't because he had done something annoying or pigheaded... but because he had been absolutely right about Sentinel. They seemed intent on replacing the Titans... erasing them from the picture. But his actions were what concerned her the most. Beast Boy harbored a strange amount of seemingly misplaced anger toward them, more than what seemed normal... and the way he stormed out of the tower implied that he might do something he would regret. She was genuinely worried about him.

Raven knew, if Beast Boy was going to do something stupid, she should let him learn his lesson on his own. Still, a strange feeling inside, the same feeling that drove her to concern—of all things—was now leading her to the door of her room. For some reason, beyond all comprehension, beyond all sanity, the last thing she wanted to see... was Beast Boy hurt. Quietly, Raven slid open the door and stepped out into the hall. Reaching up, she pulled the hood of her cloak over her head... as if it could somehow hide her thoughts as well as her face. She felt like a fool, walking through the halls on an impulse, on the assumption that she could keep Beast Boy from hurting himself. And she wasn't even sure if that was what she truly had in mind either... Was she on her way to join him?

Raven stepped into the empty common room. The others were still off on their own in the tower, running away from the present in their own way... just as she had been only recently. Finding her way to the main doors, Raven stepped through as they slid open.

- - - - - -

After waiting indecisively for several minutes in her room, Starfire had finally decided she shouldn't be hiding from her problems. Fears should be confronted head-on. Starfire peeked around the corner of the hall into the common room. The tower was atypically quiet, the living room for once empty of the usual sounds. Scanning the area, Starfire finally brought her eyes to the windows where a lone figure stood, looking out at the day.

"Robin," started Starfire, walking up closer to the windows.

Surprised, Robin felt his heart jump. "Uh, yeah, Star?" he queried, turning around, but not before fixing his expression to a normal one. Admittedly, he had been wearing a fairly gloomy face before.

Starfire stepped up to the windows beside Robin and began looking down at the bay where the sunlight was brightest on the waves. "Is it true what Beast Boy said?" she asked with concern in her eyes. "That... if things were to _cool down_, then you would do the... leaving?" she questioned, avoiding the Boy Wonder's gaze.

Robin looked down at his feet before turning back to the windows. "I won't lie to you... I made a promise that I would help people who are in trouble. And if I can't do that here... I might have to find somewhere else," he spoke truthfully.

"Well..." Starfire started, tapping her fingers together nervously, "if that becomes the case, then... perhaps you would not mind some company?" she asked without thinking, quickly turning her blushful face away. "That is, I—we would certainly not leave you to do things alone."

Robin smiled. "Thanks, Star. That means a lot," he said, trying to get a view of Starfire's face. "But we're not going anywhere."

"Hm?" Starfire turned to Robin with a curious expression, blinking a couple times. Though she wondered what he meant, she always loved it when he spoke with that reassuring tone.

"Beast Boy may be right. And we shouldn't give up until we know everything about this... Sentinel group," explained Robin. "I think we should start investigating, see if they're really who they say they are--"

"I'm way ahead of you," came Cyborg's voice as he stepped into the living room. Robin and Starfire turned around with pleasantly surprised expressions. "I decided to look up these guys in the database. I found some interesting stuff."

"Where is Raven?" asked Starfire, looking around the living room. "Perhaps she could lend some insight as well."

- - - - - -

A cool wind began to sweep over the grassy fields of the park as the sun moved further along its arc toward the horizon. The breeze carried itself along, rustling the leafy flora, increasing its intensity as time passed by. The park was beginning to quiet down and clear of people, though the traffic in the surrounding streets remained standardly present. Even so, it was obvious that twilight would soon overtake the city in a matter of hours.

For several hours, Beast Boy had been walking aimlessly through the park, trying to understand what he had seen by the streets. The Sentinel had rescued the driver from the truck... but he could have prevented any damage at all by simply stopping that dog... It was like, and Beast Boy knew it sounded crazy, the Sentinel didn't even acknowledge the dog's existence. Had the man's attention simply been elsewhere? It was too much to ignore.

Looking up from the ground where his eyes had been focused, Beast Boy saw that he had ventured to somewhere near the center of the park. The many pathways that wound their way throughout the area converged into a large circular walkway, at the center of which resided a single water fountain. As Beast Boy continued toward the fountain from his pathway, he squinted as something reflected the sunlight by the water.

With wide eyes, Beast Boy recognized a figure he had hoped he would never see again. Green. Standing in the walkway around the fountain, Green simply turned his head about, examining the area. Beast Boy wanted to turn around, but this situation posed an opportunity he couldn't ignore. Something was definitely wrong with the Sentinels from what he had witnessed... and he needed to find out what that was.

Beast Boy moved forward, putting a good distance between himself and Green, who was facing away. "Hey," he spoke loud enough for the man to hear.

"What...?" started Green, turning around. "Oh, it's you. Got something to say, Green Boy?" he questioned in a tone Beast Boy had expected. Beast Boy simply walked forward, staring at the ground. "Well? Spit it out, kid," Green continued, looking down at the approaching Titan. Coming to a stop close to Green, Beast Boy clenched his fists.

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**Author's Note:** Rekmas – The point at which close friends begin to drift apart, and their friendship begins to die.

Hehe, so... I'll leave it up to you to guess what's going to happen next XD. I'll just say that the story takes an interesting turn at this point.

I'm sure you're wondering about those two guys at the beginning of this chapter. Rest assured, they will be identified in time. You'll get another vague glimpse next chapter of this mysterious duo. There'll be a couple names revealed, so I won't have to keep referring to them as "the boy, the other boy, the young man" and so on.

Anyway, I'm particularly proud of this chapter because... I managed to put some Robin and Starfire stuff in there XD. As much as I do enjoy writing about BB and Raven, I just can't ignore the other two.

Also, I need to apologize for the three day delay. This chapter was supposed to come out on the 6th. To explain, I just installed internet access on the computer I use to write... unfortunately, this also means -drumroll- SPYWARE! -dun, dun, dun- In short, spyware problems were keeping me from using the computer properly (slowdown, freezing, crashing, etc). Thankfully, it's all cleaned up now and should remain that way so long as I keep using the spyware scanner, lol.

**Next Chapter Preview:** "Sometimes, the line between right and wrong becomes so blurred that you don't know which side you're standing on anymore. And by the time you make the choice, it may be too late to figure out if it was the right one. Even so, I've made my choice, and there's no turning back." Chapter Four: Selfish Heart.


	4. Selfish Heart

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Chapter Four: Selfish Heart

An immense dark room was illuminated in its center by a single, rectangular grouping of lights which hung far from the unseen ceiling by their thick wires; a metal cover focused the light to the area below. All corners of the room were cloaked in shadow, excluding a long metal table positioned directly under the fixtures. Various mechanical parts were scattered about the tabletop in piles categorized by similarity of item.

Every so often, small blue sparks brought the attention to a teenage boy sitting on one end of the table. With a serious look on his face, he focused on his work, fusing certain mechanical pieces together with a small singeing tool. Finishing his current piece, the boy brought the mechanical joint further into the light, testing to see if it moved properly. Satisfied, he placed the joint beside the other completed parts. With an exasperated sigh, he set the tool aside on the table and stared blankly for a moment at the darkness.

_'I should have destroyed that chip when I had the chance...' _he thought, remembering when the situation was entirely in his hands, _'called it an 'unavoidable hazard' or something,' _he continued. _'Now... who knows what he'll use the data for...' _The boy shifted his weight uneasily, causing his seat, a metal stool, to creak beneath him. His conscience was getting the best of him. _'Insurance policy. Hmph,' _he scoffed in thought. Sending the boy's heartbeat skyrocketing, the door to the room suddenly slid open, causing the light from the outer halls to reveal the blue, tiled floor in its path. Fumbling to pick up the tool he had set on the table, he attempted to look busy once again.

"You shouldn't let him get to you," came the kind voice of a young girl from the doorway.

The boy looked over his shoulder and squinted at the figure in the light, letting out a breath of relief as it finally hit him who it was. The boy's long-time comrade stood tall in the doorway, wearing a black uniform of similar style to his. With a concerned smile, she began to step forward into the room, hand on one hip as she walked. Several strands of her long, red hair fell in front of her face as continued; with little care for how it looked, she pushed her bangs aside, tucking them behind her ears.

"Phew... don't sneak up on me like that..." said the boy, turning back to the table. "What do you mean... _'let him get to me'_?" he asked, pretending as though he didn't know what she was talking about. He found it a little unnerving how she always managed to know exactly what was on his mind, even back then...

"Heh," the girl chuckled boisterously, "don't even pretend he's not bugging you, Alastair," she said with an amused tone. "Heck, he bugs me all the time and I make a point of letting him know," she joked playfully, pulling up a stool and sitting beside the boy. "He wants the same thing we do, he's just a little more... _adamant_ about it. Even so, I'm sure he won't do anything too stupid with that data," she explained with no less amusement. "Y'know... he wouldn't be anywhere without you... or me. So, like I said, don't let him get to you." Suddenly, the boy burst out in restrained laughter. "What?" asked the girl, crossing her arms.

"You called me Alastair," he said, calming his chuckles.

"I like it. It's catchy," said the girl, leaning her elbows on the table. "'Sides, it's a lot better than... well, y'know," she commented, resting her cheek against her open palm. "I've been thinking... since you've chosen a name, maybe it's about time I did..." she trailed off, suddenly looking at her friend seriously through her brown eyes. "Don't laugh," she ordered, pointing a finger at him. Alastair held his hands up, trying to show that he would would do as she asked. "...Ruby." The girl looked away quickly, tightening her face as it began to glow red.

"Ruby?" Alastair grinned widely. "Cutting it a little close, don't you think?"

"I said don't laugh!" Ruby's cheeks suddenly lost their blush as she turned back to Alastair, slapping him lightly on the back of the head.

"I didn't!" Alastair retorted, ducking his head beneath his shoulders. "I like it. It suits you... plus, _it's catchy_," he repeated her earlier words, smiling over at her sheepishly.

"Thanks," said Ruby, letting out a sigh of relief as she began to smile. "Um... I've been meaning to apologize for something. Sorry for... talking about you behind your back." Ruby bit her bottom lip and attempted to keep from smiling.

"You... talk about me behind my back?" Alastair questioned with a clueless look on his face.

"Only a little." Ruby held her index finger and thumb close together to illustrate her point. "You know how I can get on assignments, when I'm all pumped up; I talk without thinking. Besides, you know I only do that stuff 'cause I'm secretly in love with you, right?" she asked with an immense smile, playfully punching Alastair's shoulder.

"Right," he conceded with a chuckle, massaging his shoulder. "You... came to apologize for that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, I came to help you. I'm a little more considerate than _you-know-who_," she said jokingly. Ruby straightened up in her seat and turned to face the mechanical parts on the table. "Pass me one of those..." she trailed off, snapping her fingers as the words refused to come to her, "singe-y thingies," she finished.

"Soldering iron," Alastair chuckled, reaching across the table for the aforementioned object.

"Yeah, that," Ruby winked at her friend, knowing how much it got to him when she refused to name certain things properly.

"_Hey, you two, quit flirting. We've got a little... situation. Looks like they've decided to make the first move. Suit up," _a male voice suddenly echoed throughout the room, originating from a speaker system of some sort.

- - - - - -

"Raven?" Cyborg asked in response to Starfire's question. Looking down at his right arm, he viewed everyone's location on the display. "Hm... looks like she's not in the tower," he said, turning back to Robin and Starfire. "Maybe she went looking for BB," he suggested, though it seemed far-fetched. "We can just fill them in later."

"So, what did you find?" asked Robin, now even more curious about the 'interesting information' Cyborg had uncovered.

"Ah, right." Cyborg seemed to suddenly shift gears, his expression becoming serious as he moved over to one of the computer panels below the windows. He quickly began tapping away at his panel's keyboard, causing the television screen to light up with pages of information. "Look," he said, pointing up to the screen.

"...Sentinel?" queried Starfire, squinting at the most prominent word in many of the articles displayed. The immense screen showed several pictures of newspaper clippings as well as web-pages.

"What is this?" asked Robin, wondering where Cyborg was going with his presentation.

"Turns out there used to be a big military arms developer stationed just outside the city... They specialized in robotics and advanced weaponry," started Cyborg, tapping a few keys to bring up a page on the screen. "They called themselves... _Sentinel _Weapons Systems," he added, looking over his shoulder to measure Robin and Starfire's reactions. "And that's not even the weirdest part. Check this out..." Cyborg closed all other windows on the screen, leaving a single picture with text beside it.

Robin and Starfire stared up at the familiar symbol. The sharp-looking 'Y' shape had been burned into their memories by the masks of the Sentinels... and there it was, the same shape, with the word 'Sentinel' right by it. It was a little too much to ignore.

"Yeah..." Cyborg nodded, agreeing with his friends' expressions.

"Where is this weapon-maker now? I have not heard of it..." said Starfire, tilting her head to the side.

"Here's where it gets interesting..." Cyborg brought up another page: a fairly recent newspaper article with the title, 'SWS Identified in Illegal Weapon Distribution.' The rest of the article went on to explain how the police came to investigate and eventually dissolve the company. "We've never heard of 'em because the whole thing went down quietly. The city found out about the deals and quickly shut down the company; no one got hurt," he explained. "But... this affected us a lot more than you might think." Cyborg turned around, shutting off the computer and the screen. "They were providing weapons and tech to a lot of people we've met. The HIVE, Brother Blood, and even... You-Know-Who," he said, glancing over at Robin. "This new police force showed up not long after the company went under... Think there's a connection?"

"I don't know..." Robin looked down, narrowing his eyes. "But we can't ignore the similarities," he said, slamming a fist into his open palm. "We should--" Robin stopped as the lights in the room began flashing red, signifying the alarm.

"Should we... let it pass?" asked Starfire, the morning of 'false alarms' having thrown off her usual reaction to similar situations.

Simply by chance, Cyborg glanced down at his arm where the alert had been transmitted to his communicator. "Uh, guys..." he started, staring down in disbelief at the message, "I... don't think that's gonna be an option this time." Cyborg lifted his arm up for Robin and Starfire to see. "This alert came from Sentinel themselves... They're asking for our help, personally."

With blinking eyes, Robin read the coordinates displayed on Cyborg's communicator. "...Let's move," he said, turning to the door. "We can contact Beast Boy and Raven along the way, if they haven't already gotten the message." With that, Robin bolted for the doors, taking out his communicator, followed by Starfire and Cyborg. All three were a little worried about what they would encounter...

- - - - - -

_'What is...' _Raven stood still on a cobblestone pathway in the park, staring, thunderstruck, at the scene unfolding before her by the fountain. Two figures were in the midst of a battle, throwing punches and kicks each other's way. What caught her attention, and kept it, was the constantly shifting form of the smaller figure.

"Raven, pick up!" came Robin's voice through her communicator. Snapping out of her stupor, Raven wondered—from Robin's urgent tone—just how long she had been standing there. Keeping her eyes on the fight, she picked up her communicator and flipped open its display. "Raven--"

"You need to get down here, _now_," said Raven, eyes focused beyond the communicator. Without another word, she closed the device, put it away, and began rushing toward the scene.

- - - - - -

"Ugh!" Green grunted in frustration as he fell against the stone of the fountain, breaking a good-sized chunk off upon impact. Lifting himself with one arm, he stood up to face his opponent: Beast Boy. "You're gonna pay for that, you little--" he stopped, immediately cut off by another attack. Snarling, Beast Boy lunged at Green in the form of a dog; instantly, his jaws locked tight around the Sentinel's right arm, causing the man to spin around slightly. Facing the fountain, Green lifted the arm Beast Boy had attached himself to. "Get off me!" he shouted, throwing his arm forward, forcing Beast Boy to release his grip.

Water continued to flow from the top of the fountain, flowing out in a circular sheet. Beast Boy, still in dog form, was flying toward the center structure, which was a simple series of stone columns. Passing through the sheet of water, Beast Boy quickly morphed back into a human and caught himself against the largest column before he could crash into it. The break in the water healed, distorting Beast Boy's form behind it.

Green stood still for a moment, trying to discern Beast Boy's position behind the veil. "Hey--" he started, interrupted by a loud growl. Without warning, a large green tiger leaped from behind the falling water, claws outstretched, mouth bearing an angry set of sharp teeth. Beast Boy wasn't about to let the man get out another annoying sentence. With little time to react, Green was knocked to the ground, pinned in place by the immense beast. Growling viciously, Beast Boy lifted a claw and slashed across his enemy's face. With a loud cracking noise, Green's face was thrown in the direction of Beast Boy's strike; part of his face plate had broken, sending several small pieces of glass flying away.

"That's enough!" Quickly covering the broken section of his mask with one hand, Green dealt a sound, upward punch to Beast Boy's abdomen, causing him to shift back to human form as he was launched into the air.

Several feet in the air, Beast Boy held on to his stomach, groaning. Regaining his breath, he looked back down at his adversary with narrowing eyes. "You're right. It is," he said, morphing into an elephant.

"Oh, cra--" started Green, cut off as Beast Boy's gargantuan form fell upon him, breaking parts of the stone walkway with a loud crash. Suddenly, Beast Boy's elephant body began to shift about. With a surprised expression on his face, he became lifted into the air. Holding Beast Boy above his head with both hands, hardly a sound of exertion from his mouth, Green let out a low chuckle. "Forgot about _this_, didn't you?" he questioned, suddenly tossing Beast Boy forward, away from the fountain.

Unwilling to give up, Beast Boy speedily changed forms once again. Just as soon as the elephant had been thrown, a swift hawk came flying back at Green, striking him across the face. Another small piece of broken glass fell from his face plate. Morphing back into a human, Beast Boy landed on the ground and skidded to a stop behind Green; knees bent, he breathed deeply, nearly out of energy... but it didn't matter now. His plan was working.

"Beast Boy, what do you think you're doing?" Raven questioned loudly, running up to the scene, coming to a stop several feet from the fighters. She looked from Beast Boy to Green... unsure of what action to take.

"You're friend here's gone rogue," stated Green as he turned around, making sure to cover his mask with a hand. "Decided to just attack me out of nowhere," he continued. Raven narrowed her eyes at the man, hardly willing to believe him.

"He's telling the truth," said Beast Boy, readying a fighting stance once again. Raven was caught completely off guard by Beast Boy's words; pulling her head back, she looked to him with shock. "Get out of here. I don't want you to get involved," he said, looking at Raven from the corner of his eye.

"Too late... you already involved us," came Robin's serious voice from behind Green. Beast Boy looked past his opponent to see Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg, the latter two appearing quite confused and dismayed. "I don't know what made you do this... but you've taken it too far, Beast Boy. Stand down," ordered Robin, narrowing his masked eyes at the changeling.

Beast Boy looked around himself... Everyone had shown up. He knew, with much vexation, that it was far too risky to try to continue the fight now... he might end up having a few extra opponents. "...Fine," Beast Boy accepted grudgingly, relaxing his stance. Releasing a breath, he looked down to his side with closed eyes.

Looking around at everyone for a moment, Green suddenly walked a good distance away from the group and stopped, allowing the Titans to move over to Beast Boy. Watching the team from over his shoulder, he began speaking into a communication device.

Beast Boy stood still, eyes remaining shut, avoiding the looks he was sure everyone was giving him. He knew, without doubt, what he did was stupid and brash... but if the others had seen what he did, he was sure they wouldn't argue with his point... at least. Squinting his eyes open, he saw the others surrounding him, all with blank looks on their faces. Unreadable as their expressions were, he sensed a thick air of disappointment emanating from each of his friends. Looking over at Raven, he realized—however few expressions she usually displayed—he had never received that particular look from her before. He suddenly felt like a fool.

"I'm afraid we're going to need to take you all in for questioning," Green's mechanically distorted voice abruptly broke the silence, turning the Titans' attention to him. The man still covered part of his mask with a hand.

"If we have to answer for his actions, so be it." Robin looked over his shoulder at Beast Boy. The changeling slumped his shoulders and looked away in response to this. Many rushing footsteps quickly turned the Titans' eyes to the area surrounding them. A strange amount of Sentinels were encircling the area, their squad cars visible on the rim of the park. Within the increasing crowd, there were two familiar _faces_: Red and Blue... With curiosity, the Titans looked around themselves, almost feeling like they should be on the defensive.

"We have no intention of fighting you... Why have you massed such a force?" Starfire asked, eyes carefully scanning the surrounding army.

"That's just how dangerous criminals should be dealt with," replied Green, walking backwards into the crowd. As soon as he stepped beyond the border of guards, each Sentinel on the inside of the circle quickly readied strange looking white rifles in their hands. "Fire," said Green. At the order, the Sentinels unleashed a barrage of bright red laser fire upon the Titans, who were too confused to react in time.

Beast Boy watched in horror as each of his friends fell to the ground around him, struck by the shots which seemed to immediately render them... unconscious, he hoped. What happened in mere seconds seemed to drag on forever in his mind: the look of pain on his friends' faces as they were hit, their bodies losing life, tilting and falling to the ground... the knowledge that this was entirely his fault.

"Robin, Starfire, Cyborg!" Beast Boy fell to his knees, shaking each of his friends as he spoke their names. No response came, each remaining deadly still, eyes closed. "Raven...?" Beast Boy looked over his shoulder to where Raven was lying on the ground, just as lifeless as the others. Hearing someone approaching, Beast Boy looked up to see Green. "What did you do!" he demanded through his teeth, standing up. "They had nothing to do with this, why--"

"The price for your selfish actions," Green spoke vaguely, readying a gun similar to what the other Sentinels carried; coming to a stop, he aimed the weapon down at Beast Boy. "Thanks for giving me an excuse."

- - - - - -

"_And now that the obstacles have been removed, we can move along with Phase 2, ahead of schedule."_

"_This isn't necessary--"_

"_There will be casualties, of course... but it needs to be believable, don't you agree?"_

"_No one was supposed to get hurt! You can't!"_

"_Oh, I can. And I will. Is that why you came here? Are **you **going to stop me? That's not gonna happen, I've always been a better fighter. I don't know where you're hiding, Blue, but you won't be helping them anytime soon."_

"_I can't let you--"_

Beast Boy was immediately awakened by a loud, echoing shot. Lifting himself from the cold ground, he attempted to shake off a pounding headache. Squinting his eyes open, Beast Boy saw a bright light fading away in the shadows through his blurry vision. As he recovered from a strange pain coursing through his body, he attempted to walk forward, blindly, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Colliding with something, Beast Boy felt around with his hands; there was a wall directly in front of him, though he couldn't see it. Glass? Sudden footsteps caused Beast Boy to back away from the obstruction.

"So, you're awake," came a strange voice from beyond the glass wall. The footsteps halted as a figure came in to view, disguised by the shadows.

Squinting his eyes, Beast Boy looked around, realizing he was in a small, empty room. The glass he had run into was one of the walls; it looked out into a hallway where the figure stood, where several more glass sections could be seen lining the other side. The other three walls, along with the floor and ceiling, seemed to be made of a strong metal. With an elevated heart rate, Beast Boy finally recognized the figure. Green stood still, looking into the room with his arms crossed in front of himself. Standing up, Beast Boy readied himself to fight, deciding to shift into something that could break the glass. As soon as the thought of changing came to his mind, Beast Boy felt a great deal of pain course through his being. Falling to the ground and catching himself with his hands, he breathed heavily, watching as strings of electricity surged across his arms and the visible parts of his body... fading away slowly, along with the pain.

"What... is... this?" Beast Boy questioned, gasping for breath, feeling his heart pounding wildly in his chest.

Green chuckled heavily. "I wouldn't try that if I were you. Enough of those shocks and you might send yourself into cardiac arrest," he said with a sickening amount of amusement in his tone.

"How...?"

"Did this happen?" Green finished Beast Boy's question. "I had hoped you would give up and move on to another city, but to be honest I like this much better. Let's just say you wouldn't be in this mess if you had left well enough alone. Perhaps you remember that creature you fought a couple days ago, hm?" he asked, leaning forward to the glass. "It was a prototype fighting machine, the first of many, designed to test out a revolutionary combat and AI system. It was also a complete success; certainly gave your little team the runaround, didn't it?" he explained, making sure to get up close to the glass. "Part of its mission was to give us data on your unique abilities. After that, it was a simple matter designing implements to... _disarm_ you and your friends. We had never planned on using the data, but you forced us to take extreme measures today." Green pulled himself away from the glass. "It's on the back of your neck if you need proof."

"The back of my..." Beast Boy trailed off, lifting a hand to feel his neck. His eyes widened as he felt something strange beneath his skin.

"Yours sends an electric shock throughout your body if you attempt to use that power of yours. Oh, and you shouldn't try removing it... if you know what's good for you. Tell me, how does it feel to be Pavlov's Dog?" Green questioned, laughing to himself afterward. Quickly, he stopped his laughing and backed away as a loud pounding began to sound from directly in front of him. He looked down to see Beast Boy punching away at the glass, eyes burning with anger. "That's right, get angry," said Green. Beast Boy made no response, continuing to strike the wall. "And when your friends wake up, I want you to yell, shout as loud as you can, focus that anger toward them, because they were wrong." Green laughed loudly; stepping away from the glass, he began walking down the hall. "That glass can't be broken by an ordinary person... which is exactly what you are now," said Green, his voice fading away as he continued down the hall to Beast Boy's right. "So keep fighting. Knock yourself out."

"Come back here!" Beast Boy shouted, growling as he struck the glass once more. Moments passed and any sign of Green vanished, yet Beast Boy continued to punch the thick glass wall...

"That's enough..." came a voice from directly across the hall. Beast Boy stopped his onslaught and looked across the way to see Raven in the adjacent room... his blind rage had kept him from seeing anything before. She sat on the ground, leaning against the side wall, arms folded over her knees. Her face was hidden under the hood of her cloak.

"...Raven. Come on, you can get us out of--"

"Don't you think I've tried?" questioned Raven in a low, defeated tone. "They did the same thing to us." Raven lifted her hands into view and stared into her open palms. "I don't know why, but I can't use my powers..."

"Raven is correct... I have tried as well, but I cannot seem to..." Starfire's voice trailed off, sounding as though she had been crying. Beast Boy looked to the room left of Raven's; Starfire sat still on the floor, her face buried in her knees. Seeing her that way scared him...

"Where's Robin? And Cyborg?" Beast Boy questioned, scanning the rest of the hall, far from ready to give up hope.

"I don't know..." answered Raven.

"...Well, they might need our help." Backing away from the glass wall, Beast Boy rushed forward, slamming his shoulder into it. Grunting upon impact, he stepped away again and began throwing punches toward it. The glass did little more than absorb his strikes... and with every one, he could feel more and more pain growing in his knuckles.

"Enough!" shouted Raven, causing Beast Boy to stop and stare across the way in shock. "That's just what he wants. That man wants you to wear yourself out. We should wait for an opportunity and--"

"We don't have time to wait!" responded Beast Boy, throwing himself at the wall again, causing a muffled thud to escape his cell. "I heard him talking... They're going to do something to the city... people are going to be in danger!" he said, throwing another strike, wincing as he hit the glass. Pulling back, Beast Boy clenched his fists and glared at the wall. Pouring all his strength into his arm, he threw one fist forward, slamming it painfully into the obstruction. Nothing. Leaning forward against the wall, Beast Boy dropped to his knees and began weakly hitting it with his fists, resting his forehead against the glass. After a while, he stopped, gritting his teeth as he stared down at the floor.

"Do you understand now? You're only hurting yourself," said Raven, turning her attention away from Beast Boy's cell.

Beast Boy waited several moments before deciding to break the silence. "You must have been disappointed..." he said, continuing to look at the ground.

Raven looked up from her knees. "What...?" she queried.

"Finding out what they really were... Don't deny it, you were glad that Sentinel showed up. With them taking care of the bad guys, things must have seemed pretty peaceful, quiet, even though we had nothing to do with it... And that's how you'd want it, right? In a world like that, there'd be no one to bother you..." said Beast Boy, closing his eyes. "That's how it was for me... back then. It was okay, the Doom Patrol was like my family, but there was always something missing... I felt useless next to them, like I didn't have a place. But..." Beast Boy trailed off, standing up to look once again at the seemingly unbreakable glass. Stepping back with one foot, Beast Boy narrowed his eyes. Suddenly, a surge of electricity lit up Beast Boy's cell, emanating from his body as he attempted to throw a punch. Despite the pain, Beast Boy's fist made contact with the glass, creating a loud thump.

"Stop it!" shouted Raven, standing up and walking to her cell's glass wall, pressing her hands up against it. Without saying anything, Starfire did the same as Raven, looking over at Beast Boy worriedly.

Beast Boy's breathing became labored as he stumbled away from the wall, thin blue bolts of electricity fading away from his body. "But... now, I have real friends, people who've looked past my faults and helped me become stronger. _I have a place_," he continued, throwing himself at the glass wall; another shock rushed throughout his body, causing him to cry out in pain as he collided with the glass.

"Beast Boy..." said Raven, watching helplessly as he continued to hurt himself.

Coughing as he clutched at his chest, Beast Boy looked up, tears now streaming from his eyes. "Just being accepted by you guys changed me forever. When I tried my hardest, fighting with the strength you gave me... I could make a difference!" he shouted, another surge of electricity causing him to wince. "Powers or no powers -- together, _impossible_ means nothing to us..."

"Don't do it," Raven pleaded almost angrily, nearly pressing herself up against the glass. She found herself breathing hard, wanting to do something, anything. She knew, any more of this and he might...

"I'm not about to give up on that strength just because some psycho wants me to..." Beast Boy steadied himself. "Things can't stay bad forever... Things will turn around..." As the previous shock gradually faded away, Beast Boy stared at the very center of the glass wall, pulling his right arm back. Tears continued to fall from his face, tapping on the ground at his feet. "I'll show you... that you weren't wrong!" Throwing his fist forward, the world slowed down for Beast Boy and he could hear his heartbeat drowning out every other sound; it told him he couldn't take any more, but at the same time, it told him to press on. As he stepped forward to increase his momentum, Beast Boy's fist made contact with the glass.

Raven and Starfire watched with wide eyes as the entire glass wall on Beast Boy's cell shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, flying outward across the way. As though the world was suddenly coming back into full motion, Beast Boy fell to the ground in the hall. Bolts of electricity continued to travel across his body as he remained still.

Pressing a shaky hand against the ground, Beast Boy let out a small chuckle, attempting to lift himself up despite the visible electric bolts surging through him. "I... did it," he said, raising himself far enough for a tired smile to be seen on his face. However, just as soon, he let out out a breath and fell back to the floor.

"Beast Boy!"

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**Author's Note:** Phew. Well, that had to have been the most emotional chapter yet. Call me lame, but I started tearing up a little as I wrote the part about Beast Boy trying to break through the glass XP. I know this chapter made Raven and Starfire seem a little weak, but they'll have their moments, just like BB.

Anyway, yes, Sentinel had a secret agenda the entire time. This will be revealed in its entirety at some point—you might still be surprised by it, though you already know that Green is planning to hurt people. It involves the creature at the beginning of the story. Part of the reason I wrote this fic was to try and give a purpose to the creature introduced in 'Things Change'... and give it a much larger importance, which you will see later :). Hehe, speaking of Sentinel, you've probably already made the connection hinted at in the beginning of this chapter.

To clear up something, Robin and Cyborg, of course, don't have powers like Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy, so Green had them held somewhere else where he could keep a better eye on them.

Oh, also, in case you were confused about it, the reason Beast Boy was getting shocked as he threw those last few punches was that he was trying to use his animal forms, even in the smallest amount, to give him some extra strength.

The next chapter might be a little late. I've got some art projects I've been meaning to work on for some time.

**Next Chapter Preview:** "So, you thought heroes are defined by their abilities... and that removing the ability would remove the hero. Well, you were dead wrong. When circumstances are at their worst—that's when a hero's spirit burns brightest. And it's that spirit you can never take away." Chapter Five: Powerless.


	5. Powerless

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Chapter Five: Powerless

"Beast Boy!" shouted Raven and Starfire in unison as they watched their friend collapse on the ground. Beast Boy remained, apparently unconscious, face down on the floor, surrounded by shattered glass, one arm extended outward and the other blocking his face from view. In the dark, neither Starfire nor Raven could tell if he was breathing.

"Hey!" Raven slammed her open palm against the glass. "Get up... Get up, or I'll come out there and make you," she threatened, hardly convincing herself with the pseudo-anger she applied to her tone. Beast Boy made no response.

Raven shook her head as she stared down at his motionless body... All that fighting, all that talk, just to defeat himself in the end? It wasn't right at all... wasn't fair. What kind of world would allow something like that to happen? Without an urgent need to suppress them, Raven suddenly found her emotions everywhere; coursing through her mind, they were a mix of anger, concern, and sorrow. Anger for his recklessness and blind determination, concern for his well-being, and sorrow... caused by what the back of her mind refused to ignore: the boy in front of her... could be without life.

Keeping her hands on the glass, Raven drifted to her knees and stared down at the ground with a blank expression. "I'm sorry..." she started quietly. "You were right about them... and I was too busy running away to notice... we all were. I'm sorry... for giving up so quickly. We just... couldn't see a way to fight them. But..." Raven turned her attention back to the hall, finding herself unwilling to look at the lifeless Beast Boy, "if you get up now... I promise... I'll try to be strong... like you," she continued, grudgingly turning her eyes to his still form, feeling a sinking in her stomach as she saw him. "You've shown true strength... I've never said it, but that's what I admire about you. No matter how stupid it might make you look, no matter how badly you get hurt, you pour your soul into everything you do... Trying to make us laugh, trying to prove a point or win a fight; you never give up." Raven paused for a moment as she felt her words catch in her throat. "So don't start now," she said, standing up and tightening her expression as she fought back a strange feeling in her eyes. "I've had enough of giving up..." Backing away from the wall, she stared at it through serious eyes. Bracing herself, Raven rushed forward, slamming her shoulder against the glass.

Having heard everything, Starfire listened as Raven continued her attempts to break free from the adjacent room. "Raven..." she said, placing a hand on the glass wall of her cell. Raven and Beast Boy were right. This wasn't just about them anymore; there were other things to worry about, people who could be in trouble. Cyborg and... Robin could be among those people. It pained her to think that her friends could be in greater danger while she simply sat around, drowning in self-pity. To give up... it was like letting go of life itself: every dream, every unsaid word... Powerless or not, Starfire decided she wouldn't stop fighting either. Clenching her fists tightly, she pulled one arm back and growled as she swung her fist to strike the glass. The thick glass caused immense pain in her fists as she continued, but the mere thought that the person she longed for was somewhere beyond the walls drove her onward.

"What's going on down there?" came a mechanical voice from further up the hall. Suddenly, bright lights in the corridor switched on, causing Raven and Starfire to halt their attacks. A pair of footsteps grew closer, eventually revealing the form of a normal Sentinel, who stepped into the light at Beast Boy's left side. "What happened here?" he questioned without much personality to his tone, kneeling down to examine the body.

Without warning, as the Sentinel rested on one knee, Beast Boy suddenly twisted his body on the ground, swinging an arm outward as he did so. With a loud metal crash, Beast Boy's right fist made contact with the Sentinel's mask, sending him flying into the opened cell where he struck the wall harshly and fell flat on the floor. Bringing himself up to his knees, the Sentinel removed his gun from its holster at his waist, managing to press it against the ground as a crutch. Before the man could move any further, Beast Boy leaped into the cell and crushed the gun into two pieces under his boot; red sparks flew from the shattered mechanism.

With wide eyes, Raven and Starfire watched the scene unfold, both relieved and surprised to see him moving. What they found most strange was the fact that he seemed perfectly able... no less strong than before he broke free. But... how could that be possible?

Standing up, the guard stepped back and threw a fist toward Beast Boy, which the changeling easily avoided by ducking. While the Sentinel was distracted by his failed attack, Beast Boy sent a swift knee to the man's abdomen. Strangely, the guard made no reaction, merely stepping back, repositioning himself. Raising one eyebrow in confusion, Beast Boy decided to keep attacking until the man was out of it. Throwing another punch forward, he struck the guard's mask, watching in additional disbelief as the man simply turned his head back to face him with a mechanical creaking sound. Almost hesitant, Beast Boy began an onslaught of attacks to the Sentinel's mask... still, it seemed to have no effect. Frustrated, Beast Boy threw his open hand forward along with the weight of his entire body; grasping the front of the guard's mask, he pushed strongly, slamming his opponent into the wall.

Beast Boy exhaled heavily as the man finally seemed to be knocked out. Arms and legs remaining still, the guard drifted away from the dent he left in the metal, falling to the ground without any further movement. Having backed away as the armored guard fell, Beast Boy quickly moved closer and proceeded to examine the man's equipment. "Ah," he said, seeing what he was looking for attached to the Sentinel's belt by a thin, metal ring. Reaching down, he removed a semi-translucent card from the belt; the metal ring came with it, hanging from one of the card's corners.

Stepping from the cell into the light of the corridor, Beast Boy grinned at the two rooms across the way. "Get-out-of-jail-free card, anyone?" he asked in an elated tone, spinning the card around his index finger via the ring.

Suddenly, reality struck Raven like a wayward brick to the head. All that time, he had only been feigning unconsciousness in order to get a surprise attack on the guard... And, surely, every last word she had uttered in her little outburst... must have made it safely to his perfectly conscious ears. Immediately, Raven's face turned crimson as she realized she must not have sounded like herself at all... He would never let her live it down.

Face still red, Raven glared out at Beast Boy, stepping closer to the glass. "Open my cell first..." she started in a deceptively calm tone, pointing to a small panel between her room and Starfire's, "I have something I want to _tell_ you," she finished, crossing her arms.

"Um..." said Beast Boy, feeling his neck tense up as Raven's eyes bore holes into him. "What's that, Starfire?" he questioned in a squeaky, nervous voice. "_Tamaranians can't survive long in closed spaces?_ I'll be right there!"

"Huh?" Starfire widened one eye in confusion as the panicky changeling stepped forward.

Beast Boy became a bit lost as he examined the panel. There were an even amount of cells lining both sides of the hallway... and only one panel between certain pairs. Raven and Starfire's rooms were two which shared a panel. Sheepishly, Beast Boy stepped closer to Starfire's cell. The panel was a simple card-slot mechanism with two small, circular lights stationed horizontally above it, both inactive, though clearly green in color. Shrugging his shoulders, Beast Boy carefully inserted the card into the slot, causing both bulbs to light up. With a pronounced sound of movement, the glass walls began to rise upward into the ceiling. It was only now that Beast Boy realized the lights were not just lights, but buttons to select which cell to open as well... As the walls continued to rise, he looked frantically from cell to cell, sneakily inching away from Raven's. Finally, with the glass out of the way, Raven and Starfire began walking out into the hall. Almost frozen in fear, eyes closed, Beast Boy stayed put as his friends moved toward him.

"Ugh," grunted Beast Boy, opening his eyes to find himself trapped in one of Starfire's trademark constricting hugs.

"Oh, look..." said Raven, a stern expression on her face as she halted in place, "she beat me to it," she finished sarcastically.

"I thank you, friend," said Starfire with a smile, squeezing tighter. "You have renewed my hope," she finished, suddenly loosening her grip and looking around the area with a more serious expression. As Starfire let go, Beast Boy took in a few deep breaths and tugged at his collar vigorously, chuckling to himself a bit. Beast Boy and Raven's attention suddenly turned to their alien friend as she began to walk further down the hall.

"Robin?" called Starfire, speeding up as she examined the cells on both sides of the hall. "Cyborg?" she continued. Reaching one end of the corridor which led to a plain, metal wall, Starfire turned around to examine the other side. As she continued, past the curious Beast Boy and Raven, she could see—before even reaching the other end—the cells were all empty. The hall, however, connected perpendicularly into another one. "...Robin?"

"Star... I don't think..." Beast Boy trailed off, stepping forward in Starfire's direction.

"They must be in another place," Raven quickly spoke up, causing Starfire to turn around. "I assume they put us together because of our powers..." At her own words, Raven looked down at her hands and attempted to form energy in her palms. Nothing came. She could neither feel her powers' normal volatile nature, nor sense her friends' presences... even the two standing right next to her. _'How is this possible?' _she questioned in thought, closing her hands tight.

"Don't worry, we'll find them. That should be the first thing we do," said Beast Boy in attempt to console Starfire. Reaching down to his belt, he realized something was missing. "My communicator... they took it," he said, looking to his side despairingly, knowing they must have taken everyone else's equipment as well.

"What should be our move?" questioned Starfire, feeling more than a little lost. In vain, she checked to see if her own communicator remained.

"I guess..." Beast Boy paused, looking over his shoulder with curiosity. The way Green had walked off was a dead end... a disguised door? "I guess we should go that way?" He pointed to the only open end of the hall, sounding a bit unsure of himself.

"If we run into more guards, we will be defenseless. What can we do?" said Starfire, feeling not only disconnected from her powers, but strangely tired as well.

"Whatever we can... We don't really have another choice," said Beast Boy, forcing the reality on himself. He didn't understand how he managed to break out of that cell, but he knew, whatever he did, it almost killed him. "Let's go. Robin and Cyborg might need our help," he spoke up finally, walking ahead of the other two. Raven and Starfire began following, amazed by his ability to remain unbroken.

"Wait," said Raven. In response, Beast Boy and Starfire halted, turning around to face her with inquisitive looks on their faces. "I need to understand something..." she continued, looking directly at Beast Boy. "How did you know what they were? We ran into them so many times and I didn't sense anything from them. A man like that can't hide his intentions... they would emanate from him. But, still, I sensed nothing."

Beast Boy let out a breath. "I don't know..." he answered truthfully. His immediate distrust toward Sentinel confused him more than anything. "It was like... a weird feeling in my stomach. I don't know how else to explain it and--" Beast Boy cut himself off abruptly, looking at Raven with wide eyes. "Say that again."

Raven raised one eyebrow in response, trying to think back to her earlier words. "...I sensed..." she allowed her speech to trail off as her eyes began to grow wide with realization, "_nothing_."

"Just like the creature..." Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire spoke in unison, quickly turning around to face the cell Beast Boy had broken out of. They couldn't see the 'unconscious' guard from where they were...

"I vote we get out of here as quick as possible," said Beast Boy, carefully moving backward. If the guard was anything like that creature, he had little knowledge of what it was capable of, and little willingness to find out.

"Agreed," said Starfire and Raven simultaneously. At that, the three began to rush out of the hall as fast and as quiet as they were able.

Less than a few feet into the conjunction, the Titans were brought to a halt by the sight of a figure resting against a wall on the inside of the right turn. Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire immediately formed defensive stances. As expected, the man was a Sentinel—decked out in the usual uniform. He appeared injured, strangely enough, one arm used to hold himself up and the other draped over his stomach. All attention was brought to his abdomen where a hole in his armor resided, spewing small sparks of electricity. His face was masked, of course, the sharp 'Y' shaped face-plate tinted a deep, reflective... blue.

"Wait," said the Sentinel.

Beast Boy quickly relaxed himself. "It's you," he said, making his way over to the downed man, leaving Raven and Starfire a little confused. Beast Boy knelt down and examined the Sentinel, "Are you--" he started.

"I'm fine," responded Blue, moving his arm away from his stomach to fully reveal his injury. Shockingly, the hole passed directly through the man, revealing the floor beneath him; mechanical parts could be seen in the wound: wires and metal. "It's not my real body. Just a p-puppet," Blue's mechanically distorted voice seemed to repeat over itself.

"Look, we need some answers," said Beast Boy seriously, narrowing his eyes down at Blue. "What is all this?" he questioned, looking up and around at the metal walls and ceiling. "Where are our friends?"

"I'll need to be quick. Not much power left in this machine," explained Blue, looking down at the hole in his body which sparked weakly. "Your friends, they're being held in a facility due east of here. This place... I didn't know about it until I followed him here... apparently, he planned to hold you here on your capture."

"Why?" asked Raven suddenly, stepping forward with Starfire. "Why have you done all this?"

"Yes, we do not understand... You were helping the city and--" started Starfire, quickly cut off by the seemingly rushed Sentinel.

"There's no time to explain, I'm sorry... G-Green plans to do something terrible. You must stop him or innocent people will die!" shouted Blue. At the Sentinel's words, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire felt the weight of the situation crashing down on them. "First, you need to find your friends," he said, tapping a panel on his right arm. "I've d-disabled the guard; they shouldn't be looking for you anymore. It won't be long before Green realizes this, so you need to hurry. Head further up and you'll find the exit," Blue continued, pointing to the hall on the right. "Once you're out, go east and you'll reach the facility. He'll be there... along with your friends. T-There's not much time left."

"East. Got it..." said Beast Boy, pausing for a moment. "How do we know we can we trust you?" he questioned, standing up and staring down at the man through troubled eyes.

"I've given you no reason t-to... I'm as much at fault as he is, if not more." Blue looked up at the Titans. "But, please, you can't let those people get hurt."

Beast Boy looked down at the man, mulling over his two decisions: he could trust the word of a deceiver and possibly prevent a disaster, or... not. He realized then that there was no more than one choice. Whether the Sentinel was telling the truth or not, it was far too risky not to trust him. Aside from that, Beast Boy could hear the desperation in the man's voice—something he couldn't hide even through the mechanical filter. Reluctantly, he came to his decision. "...I believe you," responded Beast Boy calmly, turning around to face the others.

"We should go," said Raven, looking down the side of the hall where Blue had pointed. In the distance, the corridor came to a halt and made a left turn. Seeing this, the Titans assumed the exit, if Blue was telling the truth, would be further along that way. Without saying another word to the man, the three began to make their way down the hall with a bit more speed to their step than before.

"W-Wait," called Blue abruptly, his voice sounding as though it was losing power as well. The Titans came to a stop and looked back down the hall. "There may be something else... that I'm responsible for. The m-memorial... Who was b-buried there?" Suddenly, the man's face fell forward, his wound ceasing to spark.

"What...?" asked Beast Boy with wide eyes, rushing back down the hall. Kneeling down at the man's side, he grasped his shoulders and shook him. "What did you mean? What memorial?" he questioned loudly, shaking the man once again. No response came, the mechanical shell merely falling over to the ground with a metallic thud. Gritting his teeth, Beast Boy slammed his fist into the wall and merely stared forward at it for a moment. Taking a few breaths, he quickly calmed himself down after realizing his sudden outburst. He wasn't sure what the man was talking about... but he knew what it sounded like. What would _they_ have to do with...

"Beast Boy?" came Raven's monotone voice, moving closer. "What is it?" she questioned, sounding a little concerned.

"...Who knows," responded Beast Boy, shaking his head as he stood up. "Let's hurry," he said, picking up speed and running the rest of the way down the hall. Raven followed, looking at the Sentinel from over her shoulder... she knew what his words seemed to imply as well...

- - - - - -

Hurried footsteps of three powerless heroes resonated throughout the stretching, metal corridor. Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire continued on their way, running as fast as they could without the aid of their powers. It was times like these when Starfire would fly, Raven would levitate, and Beast Boy would have taken the form of some speedy creature... clearly, their options were now limited. With each step forward, they felt themselves becoming increasingly tired; with each frantic cycle of breath, their lungs beginning to burn. Even so, through the surprising and ironic new challenge they faced (getting from point a to b), the three had no will to stop, each with their own personal reasons to press on.

Hidden somewhere within the seemingly dreadful turn of events, beneath the guise of adversity, was something the last couple of days had seen taken away: a feeling of purpose. Now, though the odds seemed built against them, the Titans were once again needed... and in some strange way, it felt good. To have something to fight for, something to protect; this feeling was like newfound energy in their hearts, this feeling gave them hope, cause to continue.

Finally, the three made it to the end of the surprisingly long hallway, which opened up into a large, rectangular room, flush up against one of its side walls. From their position at the threshold, they could see the other corridor would have led them to the opposite end of the same room. Noticing large doors at the center of the forward wall, the Titans assumed it to be the exit and immediately continued on their way. About halfway across the immense, empty area, the three came to a halt and stared cautiously at a pair of figures in their path. Two Sentinels stood on either side of the doors, gun-like weapons held up across their chests.

"So... what do you think he meant when he said he disabled them?" questioned Beast Boy, finding it hard to walk forward into what might be a trap.

"They are machines, yes?" asked Starfire, desperate to get out and find the others. "Perhaps they are no longer programmed to attack us..." she said, suddenly walking forward and speeding up as she got closer.

"Wait!" shouted Beast Boy and Raven, holding their hands out, giving chase. However, both came to a stop as they saw Starfire standing directly in front of the Sentinel on the right; the guard made no reaction, simply remaining in place like a statue. With sighs of relief, they walked forward and joined their daring comrade.

The two immense doors stretched halfway up to the tall ceiling, appearing as though they were meant to slide away from each other at the center. The three Titans, though still wary of the guards' presences, examined the doors for some manner of switch or button which might be used to open them. Several seconds of frantic searching turned up nothing.

"That's it!" shouted Beast Boy in frustration, rushing to the center of the doors. Sliding his fingers into the minuscule space between the doors, he attempted to pull them apart. Seeing this, Raven and Starfire looked at each other and nodded in agreement; taking their places to the left and right of Beast Boy, they pressed their hands against the doors and began pushing them away from the center with all their might. Surprisingly, the immense doors began to creak loudly and, slowly but surely, separate.

"Y'know..." said Beast Boy, teeth clenched in determination. The doors soon separated far enough for a blast of cold air to come through. "If we weren't in such a hurry, I'd have found a marker and drawn a mustache on both these guys by now," he joked, feeling the doors beginning to ease up.

"That's always..." started Raven, struggling to push against the door, "good to know..." she commented sarcastically, rolling her eyes, though slightly amused in her own way.

Suddenly, all three Titans lost their grip on the doors as they began to slide open autonomously. Catching themselves and regaining their balance, they stood in place as a large gust of air rushed in through the now large opening.

The opened doorway revealed something that astonished all looking out. A bright, full silver moon, suspended aloft in a cloudless midnight blue, cast its glow down upon a vast stretch of forest. Tall pine trees, forms blackened by the shadows, stretched far up to the sky, their leaves swaying in a cold wind; they thickly populated the area, giving no signs of mountains or cities beyond their groupings. Feet crunching against the forest floor, the three flabbergasted Titans walked out into the night.

"Right..." said Beast Boy, looking up at the sky and scratching the back of his head. "So... which way's east?"

- - - - - -

Night winds swept across the immense forest, whispering ominously as they passed around the numerous tree trunks. Glowing like a strange spirit in the night, an armored figure walked a path of his choosing, weaving his way through the tall flora. What little moonlight which managed to pass through the pine leaves, bounced off the man's white armor, giving his position away from quite a distance. He was hardly inconspicuous... a trait befitting of his arrogance.

As his destination came into view, Green picked up his pace. In the distance, a small, jagged, 'U' shaped building could be seen. As the man made his approach, he seemed to be heading toward the area between the building's two 'prongs' where a light could be seen shining down on the ground from the far wall. The building itself was very plain, having no visible entrance, the only unique feature being the bright light.

Green chuckled to himself as he continued. However, before reaching the light, he let out a surprised grunt as a figure leaped down from the roof and landed directly in front of him. He regained his footing to see Red standing before him, fisted hands resting on her hips.

"Have a nice walk?" she asked with subtle anger in her tone. Reaching up with her right hand, she tapped on the large rifle which remained holstered on her back.

"Yeah. As a matter of fact I--" started Green, trying to continue on his way. Before he could finish his sentence, Red stepped forward intimidatingly, making sure to stomp her foot against the ground. Green came to a quick stop.

"Where's Blue?" she questioned, lowering her face slightly.

"He couldn't make it. Got cold feet, the poor coward," Green laughed; had he a visible expression, a smirk would be seen painted across his face.

"Coward...?" questioned the female Sentinel, shaking her head. "He may not be a fighter, he may not be the strongest, but the last thing he could be... is a coward."

"You have such faith in him, don't you?" Green shrugged. "I think he just couldn't handle the pressure."

"Is that so?" Red queried, grasping the handle of her rifle. "Because I have it on good authority... that you pulled some stupid crap." Quickly, she removed her rifle from its holster and aimed it directly at Green, unflinching.

"Oh, I see... You're not even in there, are you?" Green looked over Red's shoulder at the building. "Hiding out with him? So, in the end, you're both just a couple of cowards; perfect for each other. Well, you two can have your little _names_... I'll be the one to secure a place for myself..." he trailed off, slowly reaching for his own gun at his side.

"Hey!" shouted Red, causing Green to halt his movement. "Let's not forget who has the bigger gun here," she warned, shaking her free index finger at him. Paying no attention, Green simply removed his weapon from its holster. In response, Red pulled her rifle's trigger, sending a single, short beam of bright laser fire at him.

Rolling forward under the shot, Green stepped up close to Red and knocked the rifle from her hands, quickly moving out of her way. From behind, he held her arms tightly so she couldn't retaliate, pressing the barrel of his gun up against her chin. "Close quarters combat was always my specialty, remember?" he asked in a slight whisper. Red simply growled in frustration. "We could have had a place, the three of us... but you two turned against me. I've waited too long for this. I won't let you take it away." Pressing harder with the gun, Green let out a low chuckle. "When I release them, I'll make sure to have your signatures on their blood-list as well." Green began to laugh loudly, his voice resonating in the forest. "Nowhere to hide!" he shouted, continuing his slew of psychotic laughter.

A deafening shot echoed in the darkness.

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**Author's Note:** Wow... Green is one sick puppy XD. I think he might be the most messed-up villain I've ever written, lol. Thankfully, that was my intention—I wanted to make a real psycho this time around, someone you love to hate.

Anyway, sorry this one was a couple days late. As I mentioned in the last author's note, I had some stuff to work on for my gallery at DeviantArt dot com.

Thanks so much for your supportive reviews, everyone. I really appreciate it all. This is probably going to be my shortest fic (when it comes to chapters), so it'll be nearing its end soon—and a fairly big revelation as well :D.

**Next Chapter Preview:** "Everyone has a demon they must confront, a personal challenge they must compromise or overcome. I've lived with a battle raging inside: my mind against a demon I've always feared... Never have the two forces been closer together than now, but... I'm not the one who should be afraid." Chapter Six: A Caged Beast.


	6. A Caged Beast

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Chapter Six: A Caged Beast

Brisk night winds continued to whistle throughout the open forest, broken into separations like streams by the shadowy trunks of numerous tall pines. Bristly leaves rustled under the midnight sky, which was brought to stunning, eerie illumination by a full, silver moon. A fairly large facility, disguised well by the surrounding woodland, sent forth a bright light into the darkness through its immense front doorway. Three friends stood just outside this building's entryway, long shadows being cast into the distant darkness.

Raven faced Beast Boy in utter disbelief, clenching a fist tightly at her side. With a twitching brow, she attempted to calm herself down, shaking her head appropriately. "You mean to tell us... you went along with that man's suggestion, agreed to follow his directions... and you don't know which way east is?" she asked in a pseudo-calm demeanor.

Beast Boy chuckled nervously in response, beads of sweat forming on his face. "We were in a hurry. I thought I could figure it out along the way..." he trailed off, looking to Raven skeptically. "Besides, do **you **know which way east is?" he questioned, pointing a finger her way.

"I..." Raven paused, looking up to the sky. Letting her shoulders drop, she realized he was right... she had little idea where to look without the sun as a guide. "...Fine. So, what do you suggest we do then?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, maybe--" Beast Boy was interrupted by a loud metal clack. At this point, the three Titans turned their attention back to the building to see the doors slowly sliding shut. Little by little, the light from within became blocked by the doors until they shut it out completely, leaving the moon and stars as the only visible source. Almost forgetting what he was about to say, Beast Boy looked over his shoulder to see Starfire gazing up at the sky intently. "Um... Starfire, any ideas?" he asked.

"I am... working on it," responded Starfire, squinting as her eyes moved from one shimmering body to the next. "Robin once informed me of a star that indicates north... I will attempt to locate it," she explained, moving about to get a better view of the sky through the leaves.

"Star gazing... So _that's_ what you two are always doing on the roof. Heh, I guess it's a lot more productive than what _I_ thought you were—ouch!"

After giving Beast Boy a swift punch to the shoulder, Raven nodded, deciding to leave it up to Starfire. "Good idea," she said, knowing there was no one better to count on when it came to astronomy. As Raven turned away to examine the area, a gust of wind swept by, causing her to shiver and close her cloak tight. She assumed she was just being oversensitive to the situation, but, in her mind, being without her powers made the cold feel more intense... like she was standing there without clothes... On the other hand, it also made her feel less restrained, as though there was no immediate reason to hold her emotions inside anymore.

"Hey, Raven..." came Beast Boy's voice, surprisingly calm. Ironically, his voice and attitude were stable constants in an otherwise unstable situation, like the loss of ability hadn't affected him at all; it almost made Raven feel better about everything. Raven looked over to see him staring down at his side, massaging the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "What I said... back in that place... about you," he finally looked up, meeting Raven's eyes with an apologetic expression. "I was just trying to—that is, I didn't mean--"

"I have found it!" Starfire shouted happily, pointing at a low angle to the sky.

Hearing this, Beast Boy quickly turned around and began scanning the sky, leaving Raven to stare blankly and wonder: _'Was he about to apologize for something...?'_

"Where...? I don't see it..." said Beast Boy, walking right beside Starfire's pointing hand, squinting at the sky. He looked on but, as far as he could tell, all the stars appeared the same. "Are you sure? How can you even tell them apart?" he queried, looking back to his alien friend... who seemed confident enough.

"I am certain," replied Starfire, taking a serious expression. "If that is north, then this is east," she explained, shifting herself 90 degrees to the right and pointing off into the forest. "Come. Surely there is no more time to waste. I will lead the way." With confidence, Starfire took off in a speedy fashion, leaving Beast Boy and Raven to nearly trip over themselves trying to follow.

The three Titans weaved their way through the trees, which cluttered the way ahead like dense and stationary traffic. Their collective footsteps crunched and patted against the forest floor, creating an odd rhythm in the night as they raced along. At this point, they could only hope Blue's directions were accurate...

Starfire looked ahead, breathing heavily as she continued to lead the group in a hurry. Slowing down to move around a tree, she quickly sped up again and kept her eyes trained on east. It seemed selfish and inconsiderate to her, but of the two people not with them, there was one whom she worried about most. Robin was somewhere on the path ahead, held captive by that madman... surely in mortal danger. She dared not think about what may have already happened to him... instead opting to think about what she could prevent. Both Robin and Cyborg were capable of defending themselves... but that fact could neither keep her from worrying, nor stay her feet.

Beast Boy followed a distance behind Starfire, trying to keep up, though he felt a certain amount of fatigue in his body... ever since he broke free from that cell. Despite this weariness, he attempted to remain vigilant, for the good of the team, for the sake of the city. Gritting his teeth, Beast Boy felt his muscles burning... and eventually found himself at the back of the group, trailing a few feet behind Raven. Breathing in heavily through his nose, he looked up and ignored the coursing pain in his chest. He couldn't allow Green to go through with whatever he was planning... Finding himself glaring, Beast Boy wondered what the plan was exactly... lulling the city into a state of false security and striking while they're careless? What would he use? The Sentinels? Shaking his head, he continued on his way, deciding the means of the attack was not what should be worried about.

Raven watched as Beast Boy fell to the end of the group. Looking back to the path ahead, she could still hear his footsteps... one beat behind hers. He was hiding something. Breaking out of that cell, enduring those shocks, must have caused him some manner of physical ailment... most likely in his heart. It was another reason for her to feel useless; were her powers intact, she could simply try to heal him... but she couldn't even do that, forced to stand by and watch while he obviously pretended nothing was wrong. She had said so herself... that was his strength: having no regard for his own life. Letting out a quiet sigh, Raven looked up to see Starfire and the dark stretch of forest ahead. The bright moon did little to illuminate the way... causing the trees she passed by to cast dark shadows on the ground. Suddenly, a low branch came into view and Raven quickly ducked under it without stopping, looking over her shoulder to see Beast Boy do the same.

_'I guess he can still handle himself...' _she thought, looking forward once again. Suddenly, an uplifted tree root caught her eye, too close to be avoided. As soon as she took notice of the obstacle, her foot became caught under it. Tripping over the root, Raven found herself turning over in the air, now facing the sky: a result of trying to dodge the object. Mid-fall, she closed her eyes, bracing herself to hit the ground, hoping to roll on impact. However, something happened then that she didn't expect at all. She stopped. Opening her eyes, she witnessed something even more unexpected... Beast Boy had apparently taken hold of her, catching her just before she could hit the ground. He held one arm behind her head and the other under her knees.

"Raven. You all right? I saw you trip and--"

"You caught me..." Raven stated, looking up at him with a blank expression. As much as she tried to avoid it, something inside her suddenly caused blood to rush to her face and her heart to beat several times faster. It was times like these when things would be exploding left and right around them... but nothing was happening... no uprooted trees, no shattered earth... in a strange way, to Raven, it felt uncomfortable and good at the same time. Raven swallowed hard, "...I'm... um..." she started, frustrated by her troublesome search for words.

"I see something!" Starfire called her friends' attention as quietly as she could, pointing off into the forest from her position ahead of the other two.

"What?" without thinking, Beast Boy dropped Raven to the ground, immediately reaching down to help her up as he heard her grunt. "Hehe... my bad," he chuckled nervously, taking hold of Raven's hand and helping the empath to her feet.

"...Where?" asked Raven, massaging the pain from her backside as she stood up. Wrenching her hand away from Beast Boy's, she gave him a stern look and proceeded to walk over to Starfire. The slightly embarrassed changeling followed close behind, shoulders slumped forward

Starfire motioned for the others to join her in hiding behind a large, fallen tree trunk. "There," she whispered, pointing over the log as soon as Beast Boy and Raven took their positions.

"Ah, I see it," Raven acknowledged. Peering carefully over the log, she looked between the trees in the distance to see a bright light attached to a small building. Under the light, the building's walls glowed an intense white in the darkness.

"There are probably more guards here..." stated Beast Boy, pressing his back against the log and moving to the very end to peek around the corner. "What's our move?" he questioned in a whisper.

"...Sneak up and hope we don't get caught," answered Raven in a serious tone, standing between Beast Boy and Starfire. The two turned to face her with surprised expressions. Raven shrugged. "What other choice is there?" she asked.

"You are right... Let us proceed," Starfire conceded, climbing over the tree trunk and landing softly atop the high ground on the other side. Beast Boy followed as quietly as was possible for him... he and Raven were decidedly shorter than Starfire, so such a feat as climbing over a tree trunk more than half his height proved rather difficult; still, he managed to make it over... with a little help from Starfire.

Before following the others, Raven stole a glance back at the uplifted root. She had a strange feeling when thinking back to that moment. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew it wasn't just Beast Boy that kept her from hitting the ground. The moment after she tripped, she felt something awaken inside her, something familiar, reminiscent of the times when her emotions came to harmony. Maybe their powers weren't gone after all... perhaps they were just sleeping.

"Raven?" came Beast Boy's voice.

Raven turned around and looked up to see Beast Boy holding his hand down over the edge of the log. Reaching up, she took hold of his hand, unable to keep a small smile from gracing her expression. Dormant powers, reachable by strength of will: he was proof of that...

- - - - - -

Moving up closer to the building, the three Titans could see it was even smaller than they had anticipated. Looking like a squared off, capital 'U', it was stationed in the center of a clearing in the trees, surrounded by patches of tall grass and several large, gray rocks. The light on the wall between the building's two prongs seemed to indicate an entrance of some sort; making this their destination, the Titans slowly made their way out of the forest and into the clearing.

Beast Boy looked up to the sky as they continued, keeping an eye on the moon. It looked immense in the night, its surface pockmarked by large and small craters alike, all eerily visible, more so than on most other nights; it reminded him of any movie he had ever watched involving a werewolf. Seemingly carried in by a loud gust of wind across the clearing, several clouds began to move into position in front of the moon, darkening the area further. Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire saw this as an opportunity, picking up their pace as the shadows started to roll in.

Pressing himself up against the flat wall of the building's right prong, Beast Boy looked around the corner into the strange, dead-end alleyway. At the very end of the length of bare ground, the bright light shone down on the wall below from its position on the edge of the roof. There seemed to be no visible entrance... but that only made sense, considering how the facility was probably meant to be a secret. Beast Boy assumed, though, that if there was an entrance, it would be somewhere around that light. Looking back to Raven and Starfire, he shrugged his shoulders and, taking in a deep and preparatory breath, stepped around the corner, into the alley.

Beast Boy gulped as he continued. "No alarms... I guess that's a good sign," he said quietly, moving forward, listening to Raven and Starfire's footsteps a distance behind him. Finally reaching the end, Beast Boy squinted under the bright light and pressed his hands up against the wall, examining it for any abnormalities. As his search turned up nothing, he let out a sigh, stepping back to get a better look at the wall. "Come on. Help me look around," he said, waving his hand.

"No, I don't think they will," came a terrifyingly familiar voice from behind Beast Boy. The changeling began to take in shallow breaths, turning around to see exactly what he didn't want to. The tall, armored man known as Green stood near the alley's mouth, arms crossed in front of himself. As soon as Beast Boy turned around, the man let out a sinister, mechanical laugh. Behind Green, outside the alley in the clearing, stood an unsure amount of Sentinels... two of which held Raven and Starfire captive; the two struggled to get free, their mouths covered by their captors' hands, words of protest muffled.

"No!" yelled Beast Boy, rushing forward; the moment he did this, he heard two loud thumps behind him. Before he could investigate the sounds, he found his arms pulled back and held in place. Shoved from behind, he fell forward to his knees. Looking over his shoulders with an angered expression, Beast Boy saw two Sentinels holding him down. "NO!" he shouted louder, struggling to move his arms.

Walking forward, Green began to clap his hands together slowly. "I commend you for getting this far, really," he said, chuckling under his breath, "but it's over now," he finished, coming to a halt several feet in front of Beast Boy and leaning forward, arms behind his back. "Your little prison break caused quite a ruckus," he continued, his voice sounding sickeningly amused. However, his tone quickly became serious with his following words. "I don't know how you managed to break out of that cell..." he said, shaking his head as he stood up straight. "In any case, like I said, it's over. The field is mine, and there are no more mistakes to be made."

Beast Boy's eyes remained trained on Raven and Starfire, who continued to struggle against the Sentinels holding them in place. "...It's not over," he said, growling under his breath as he moved his arms, managing to pull the Sentinels forward. However, as soon as he did this, the two guards tightened their grip on his arms, pressing him closer to the ground.

"Man, you're deluded, aren't you?" Green questioned, shaking his head with a laugh and placing a hand on his forehead. "You just won't give it up, even when you're obviously outmatched and outnumbered... but I guess that's how you got out of that cell then, isn't it?" he asked, receiving no comment from Beast Boy. "But it appears you even failed at pulling that off successfully. That's what happens with kids like you... you always fail... no matter how hard you try... it's sad--" Green abruptly halted his speech and backed away. Beast Boy had stood up fully, managing to move a good distance forward with the Sentinels still clinging to him; he glared angrily. Strange... the scraping sound the boy made against the ground during this jolt fooled Green into believing he had heard some manner of predator-like growl.

"You don't know me," growled Beast Boy, gritting his teeth as he was pushed back to his knees again.

"You're right... I'll admit, I did underestimate you," said Green, turning around to face the grouping of Sentinels. "I was planning on releasing you into the city during crisis-come, letting you play hero one last time, letting the city watch you fail... but since you've proven yourselves _so much_ of a threat, maybe you should be dealt with sooner than later." Green let out a low chuckle, looking over his shoulder at Beast Boy for a moment, before turning his attention back to the Sentinels on the outside. "Kill them."

"What?" Beast Boy questioned with wide eyes. Bringing himself to his feet once again, he stepped forward slightly, pushing against the ground with all his might before falling back to his knees. "Stop!" he shouted.

"Too late," Green laughed, taking a serious tone afterward. "You brought this on yourself," he said. "Do it." At his order, the Sentinels released Raven and Starfire from their grasp, encircling them with the others, aiming their rifles toward the center.

Starfire found herself shaking as fear overtook her senses. She examined the circle of guards, each with their weapons charging and aimed precisely. Knees buckling, she felt like falling to the ground; there was nothing she could do, no way of stopping them. Closing her eyes, she thought of the things she still needed to do, people who needed to be protected. The city... Robin and Cyborg... there was no excuse to let go. Eyes glaring, Starfire's fear quickly turned to fury.

Raven looked around herself warily. At any moment, the Sentinels could fire on them... and there seemed to be nothing they could do. She looked back into the alleyway at Beast Boy... even now, he was still fighting, struggling to get free and do whatever he could. Would it be in vain?

"No!" shouted Raven, facing her palms out toward the surrounding army unit, turning in place to look at each of them. At this moment, as though time was slowing down for her, she could hear the metallic click of triggers being pulled and the resulting blast of laser fire erupting from the barrels. The area quickly lit up in a bright red haze. Raven closed her eyes and held her position, still holding her hands out, trying to focus on her thoughts, looking deep inside herself for something...

Strangely, as Raven remained still with her eyes closed, things appeared to get brighter around her. Time seemed to pass slowly, though she was not sure if it was merely her mind prolonging the moment... A strange quiet and stillness filled the air. Heart beating wildly in her chest, Raven stood up and opened her eyes to an astonishing sight. Her breath echoed in the reverberating silence as she saw her hands... glowing an intense white. Giving her cause to gasp, she saw the laser fire mere inches from her position, stationary in the surrounding space like time had stopped; it, too, was enveloped in the strange white energy. Looking around herself, she soon realized everyone else was affected the same way: Starfire, the Sentinels, Beast Boy and Green in the alley... all surrounded by that brilliant illumination, all rendered motionless. As she took in another breath, Raven could almost feel the world breathing with her... everything within the energies felt like extensions of her own soul... Pulling in her still open palms with a deep breath, Raven pushed outward.

Suddenly, the world swiftly came back into full motion. With the sound of several small explosions, each Sentinel's weapon detonated in its hands as the laser fire returned to the barrels. As a result, the guards were pushed away from the center of their circle.

"Raven?" Starfire looked to Raven in astonishment, seeing her friend's outstretched hands glowing a celestial white.

"Starfire. I could feel your power too... it lies dormant, hidden within you," responded Raven. "You can awaken it, but you must search deeper," she said, still focusing on the surrounding guards.

"Hidden within..." Starfire trailed off, looking at her hands. The guards around them quickly regained their footing, taking fighting stances. Starfire felt a fury raging inside, but she could not seem to form starbolts... Still, the fury was more than an emotion... like a fire inside her being. Looking to the closest approaching Sentinel, Starfire let go of her doubt and charged forward. As she reached a critical distance, Starfire pulled her arm back and threw a powerful strike forward, hearing a loud crash. Coming to a skidding stop on the ground, Starfire found her fist had passed directly through the center of the robot's chest armor. "Huaaaah!" she yelled, channeling the fire from her heart into her arm. In a bright green explosion, the Sentinel shattered into thousands of pieces, its mechanical parts flying away from Starfire with incalculable speed. For a moment, she looked on in amazement as the red-hot metal struck the ground in the distance... realizing that immense energy had come from her.

Returning to the center of the battle, back-to-back with Raven, Starfire took a fighting stance once again. "...It is belief," she spoke over her shoulder. Raven gave Starfire an inquisitive glance in response. "That is why he was able to reach his hidden power. He did not stop believing... he did not lose hope."

"Yes." Raven nodded, looking around at the weakened battalion. "Then let's prove he's not the only one."

- - - - - -

"What in the..." Green stared off toward the battle in sheer mental rejection, taking an unintentional step back. It had all happened in an instant... like the world had willed a victory away from him in one fell swoop.

"You see?" queried Beast Boy, still held in place by the Sentinel's, causing Green to turn around and look in his direction. "We're not as weak as you say we are... and you're not as strong..." he stated, looking up at the man as he once again struggled to move his arms.

"...Bold words coming from the kid on the ground--"

"_Man, you're deluded, aren't you?_" Beast Boy mocked Green, making the man clench his fists in frustration. The changeling began to growl under his breath as he continued to pull his arms against the two Sentinels' grips. "Wanna know what happens... when you cage a beast?" he questioned in a low tone. Starting on Beast Boy's shoulders, bright, blue bolts of electricity began to surge across his body, making audible sparking noises. Slowly, Beast Boy brought himself to stand up straight; eyes closed, he began to move his arms shakily.

"This... this shouldn't be possible," said Green, backing away slowly, stopping as he heard another explosion from behind him and felt the ground shake as a result.

"Then you're in for a big surprise." In an almost supernatural feat, Beast Boy quickly moved his right arm with the Sentinel still clinging to it, hurling the robot into the wall beside him where it shattered the stone and fell to the ground, broken apart in several places. Taking hold of the other Sentinel with both hands, Beast Boy swiftly turned around and launched it over his shoulder into the wall with the light. The resulting crash caused the light to shatter and release orange sparks onto the ground below. Beast Boy's form was struck harmlessly in the now pitch-dark alley by the falling sparks, revealing his position in the shadows.

At this point, Green decided to brave the fight behind him, turning around to make a break for it. As soon as he made his move, he found himself staring into two angry eyes, pinpoints of light glowing in the darkness, the eyes of a furious predator...

"Surprise," came a voice similar to Beast Boy's... though sounding strange and bestial, like several creatures speaking at once.

At this moment, Green found himself shoved further back into the alley... further into the darkness. Frantically, he looked around himself, reaching for his weapon.

"You come to our city..." spoke the voice again, directly behind the Sentinel. Taking out his gun, Green turned around and aimed forward. "Try to take our place..." the voice continued, behind the man once more. Hastily, Green inverted his facing again, firing a shot off into the darkness, the light from the laser revealing nothing to him. "And then turn your fangs on the people you pretended to protect..." Beast Boy continued, pausing for a moment to leave Green guessing in the darkness. "What gave you that right?"

Green fired his gun into the air in frustration. "Stop toying with me!" he shouted.

"Fine," responded Beast Boy. Following a sound of sliced air, Green found his chest armor sparking, claw marks cleaved diagonally across his suit in an instant.

He stared down at the mechanical wound in reverence. "What--" he started, immediately slammed into one of the walls. Falling to the ground, he attempted to crawl away. However, the attacks continued to come, unrelenting... unforgiving. In the darkness, Green could hear predacious growls from all sides, along with sounds of footsteps scraping against the dirt, encircling him. Flickers of blue electricity seemed to be scattered about everywhere. Remaining on the ground, Green aimed his gun forward once more, immediately witnessing it shatter into several pieces. Suddenly lifted up, he was quickly slammed into the ground, now facing the dark sky.

As though on cue, the clouds in the sky began to move away from the moon, allowing dim illumination into the alley. As Green looked up, he saw the same fear-inducing eyes as before staring back down at him. Beast Boy's face was rife with anger, his teeth appearing sharp, the pupils of his eyes looking like thin, vertical slits. "My... God. What are you?" questioned Green, attempting to move, though finding himself pinned strongly against the ground.

"I'm through playing games. Robin and Cyborg. Where are they!" Beast Boy gritted his teeth, raising one of his hands up high. "Where!" he demanded.

"W-Wait! I'm not like the others. I'm actually in this suit. You wouldn't kill me, would you?" Green questioned, attempting to turn his face away. In response, Beast Boy began to throw his hand forward.

"Beast Boy!" shouted Raven from the mouth of the alley, causing Beast Boy to halt his attack mere inches from Green's face. Breathing heavily through his teeth, Beast Boy turned his head to see Raven and Starfire walking forward into the alley, obviously victorious from their fight; on their faces, he could see mixtures of fear and concern... "He could be telling the truth... Don't do something you'll regret," Raven continued, walking forward hesitantly.

"She's right," Green nodded frantically.

Suddenly taking notice of something, Beast Boy looked up to the sky, inhaling sharply several times through his nose. Turning back to Green, he glared, quickly thrusting his hand downward with a growl.

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**Author's Note:** Hehe, I had a lot of fun writing that chapter, especially the part when Green got his comeuppance :D. I had this idea of him thinking he had the Titans cornered, but suddenly finding himself between a rock and a hard place, lol. Phew, I love it when a chapter actually feels like it took something out of me when it's over—like I was doing some of the fighting XD. So far, I think that was the most action-packed chapter in this story... a lot more fighting than any previous ones, for sure.

Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it seemed like a good place to stop. This is one of the chapters I've wanted to write since the beginning of the story. The Beast Within was never really revisited in the series, and I always wanted to see more of that.

Anyway, reviews are very much appreciated, thanks :D.

**Next Chapter Preview:** "When the world forgets your existence—denies it... you feel alone, unwanted... without a place. There are certain lengths some will go to feel they have a purpose... certain lines they're willing to cross. It's where that line is drawn... that marks the difference between good and evil." Chapter Seven: Broken Weapons.


	7. Broken Weapons

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Chapter Seven: Broken Weapons

"_Don't do something you'll regret..." _Raven's words coursed through the enraged Beast Boy's mind as he continued to pin the object of his frustrations to the ground. Looking to the right for a moment, he saw his now claw-like hand, pulled far back, shaking as though eager to be thrown downward. As Beast Boy continued to think on his situation, Green muttered something below him, though he paid little attention to the man's grievances. Raven's warning... he wasn't sure if he could heed it; the beast had taken over... its will now rushing through him like fiery blood. Would it make him do something he himself would never even think of?

Green looked up at his opponent... awaiting the inevitable. Beast Boy's frightening eyes had bore holes into his mind... surprising himself, he found his body nearly paralyzed from the sight of it. The boy appeared human on the outside... but it was obvious, something was fighting its hardest to break free from within, making its way out through strange places: teeth, claws... and eyes. The Sentinel cursed himself for designing the inhibitor to shock Beast Boy... that _feature_, above anything else, was surely what caused the beast to emerge. The data never gave any indication of such a thing...

Raven walked forward with Starfire following close behind; she held a hand out, trying to dissuade Beast Boy from doing anything foolish. Stepping forward across the bare dirt, she could hear baritone growls carried upon his slow breaths. Finally reaching a certain distance from Beast Boy, she came to a shocked halt as she witnessed his eyes, wild, bestial and furious... nothing like what she had come to know: the eyes of a lighthearted fool, often brimming with overconfidence, always bright... the eyes she only now realized how fond of she had been. Even with as little of the funny changeling remaining on the surface as there was, she knew, from personal experience, the Beast was a protector... only seeking to defend, never to intentionally destroy. But in its current unstable state... could even it be trusted? Raven sympathized, able to relate to such a situation... her own emotion of Rage was much the same in nature to Beast Boy's inner demon.

As much as he tried to fight it, Beast Boy's muscles seemed to move of their own accord, twitching to attack. It was at this moment that something caught Beast Boy's attention: several distinct scents lingering on the air—both familiar and telling of secrets. Looking up to the full moon, Beast Boy took in several sharp breaths through his nose to be sure of his assumption. Immediately knowing what had to be done, he let the primal instincts take full control again. Turning back down to look at Green, he glared, swiftly thrusting his hand downward.

"No!" shouted Raven and Starfire, stepping forward before hearing a loud crack. The two halted in place and stared forward with wide eyes.

Turning away involuntarily as the possessed changeling's claw came down, Green held his position for several seconds... the sound of Beast Boy's low breaths still hovering over him. Reluctantly turning back to face his left side, Green noticed Beast Boy's fingers implanted a certain distance into the ground—right beside his face; no sooner did the boy remove his hand, pulling a good amount of dirt with it. Green looked away slightly again as Beast Boy threw his hand down once more, slamming it into the ground with a growl.

"What are you doing--" started Green, working up enough nerve to speak again—at least for a moment. However, the man stopped as Beast Boy quickened his attacks on the ground, now using both fists to strike the dirt on either side of Green's face. Suddenly, he felt the ground begin to loosen beneath him; inches lowered in elevation... it was now obvious to him what Beast Boy was doing. "Don't. Stop it!" he shouted, his voice almost drowned out by the noise, gaining no immediate reaction from Beast Boy, who simply continued his onslaught.

"Don't stop it?" Beast Boy questioned with a bit of a grin on his face as he continued to strike the ground, his voice still sounding like more than one person. "All right," he said, stopping to pull his right fist far back.

_'Was that... a joke?' _wondered Raven as she watched warily from a distance. At this moment, she knew there was still a bit of him in control... but what was he going to accomplish by attacking the ground?

_'That should do it,' _thought Beast Boy. Clenching his hand tightly, he focused intently on the area he had been striking most. Taking in a deep breath, he quickly sent his arm through the air, slamming his fist into the ground with a loud thud, an action which almost seemed to cause the area to shake. Gritting his teeth, he pressed harder against the dirt. Suddenly, several cracks began to form on the ground surrounding Beast Boy and Green, crumbling sounds resonating from beneath them. Immediately, as though it had suddenly turned to liquid, the ground gave way and the two dropped into a dark area along with falls of dirt and shattered chunks of concrete.

As the dust and confusion settled, it finally dawned on Raven and Starfire what had happened. Without saying a word, the two rushed over to the now large hole in the ground, peering into the shadows to see any indication of their friend. In the moonlight, they could see Beast Boy attempting to stand up, holding a hand against his forehead; beneath him were the remains of Green, mechanical parts bare from being struck by fallen concrete, sparks flying from his broken robotic form. It was now obvious that the man had lied about being in the suit... to prolong the thing's existence.

"Beast Boy," called Raven, speaking up as she and Starfire carefully climbed down into the strange room.

Groaning as he massaged his forehead with one hand, Beast Boy looked to his left. "...What happened?" he asked groggily. Looking down, he saw the shattered robot at his feet. Immediately, he stepped away from the body, quickly grasping his forehead again as the headache resumed.

"Friend... we apologize for not trusting you. It is clear you knew what he truly was," said Starfire, coming to a stop next to Beast Boy.

"Are you okay?" queried Raven as she looked to Beast Boy, unable to see his face. As Beast Boy moved his hand away from his forehead, Raven found herself displaying a relieved smile; his eyes had returned to normal.

"I... did this?" Beast Boy looked around himself in shock at the broken concrete and piles of dirt. Suddenly, everything came flooding back into his mind: every word he spoke, every punch he threw as the Beast. "I did do this..." he said, bringing his hands into his view. His gloves had been ripped in certain places, revealing the tips of his fingers. "What's wrong with me?" he questioned, closing his eyes. After a moment in silence, Beast Boy felt a hand on his shoulder and opened his eyes to see Raven attached to it.

"Absolutely nothing," said the empath.

The three Titans turned their attention away from each other as a scuffling sound came from the shadows. Examining the area, they noticed several pieces of concrete being pushed away from the edge of the piles. Groaning, a figure emerged from beneath the rubble.

"Who's there?" questioned Beast Boy. As soon as Beast Boy spoke, the figure quickly moved over to the cube-like room's only door. Seeing this, Beast Boy gave chase along with Raven and Starfire, stopping a few feet before reaching the man, just to be safe. Not much taller than the three Titans, the figure wore mostly black... and a strange mask which covered the upper portion of his face.

"You think you've won?" the figure spoke in an almost familiar voice, though sounding like young man. Reaching up, he removed his mask and held it before him, revealing his green eyes and tousled, ash-blond hair.

"Green?" questioned Beast Boy. "You're just a... kid," he said, squinting in disbelief.

"So are you," responded Green, pulling back his mask and quickly hurling it toward the Titans.

Ducking under the wayward object, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire looked up to see Green fleeing through the opened doors into a long, brightly lit corridor. Quickly they picked up their pace and began following as fast as they could. As they entered the hallway, the doors slid shut behind them, revealing the words 'Operations Room' written across its upper portion. Four pairs of footsteps began to resonate in the hallway as the Titans followed the escaping boy... who ran surprisingly fast. On the other end of the hall, Green passed through the doors and disappeared as they shut. Moments later, Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire rushed through the doors—which opened automatically for them—stopping as they saw the hall split off in two different directions: left and right.

"Where did he go?" questioned Starfire hurriedly.

Taking in a deep breath and closing her eyes, Raven concentrated, though noticeably harder than she normally would have, trying to locate the boy's presence. "That way," she said, pointing down the hall to the right. Raven and Starfire began to move toward the right hall without notice of Beast Boy's absence.

"Wait," said Beast Boy, causing Raven and Starfire to halt. The two turned around to see Beast Boy staring down the left hallway. "Robin and Cyborg are this way..."

"How can you tell?" questioned Raven in a hurry, almost able to hear Green's quick footsteps down the right hallway.

"When I went crazy back there... I could smell them. They're this way, believe me," he said, turning to face his friends. "Come on. Without that remote-controlled robot, he's not much of a threat. Let's just get Robin and Cyborg, then follow the guy." Beast Boy motioned his hands down the left hall, beginning to move in the same direction. Raven and Starfire could hardly argue, quickly following after Beast Boy.

Surprisingly, the left hall, which slanted downward at angle, came to a stop at a pair of doors a good distance past the corner. Slowing down as they came closer to it, the Titans carefully examined the doors. The words 'Holding Room' were printed across the top.

"Well... that sounds about right..." said Raven, wondering which of the accomplice Sentinels was obsessive-compulsive enough to label every single door.

"Quite," replied Starfire, wondering pretty much the same thing.

"It's probably locked," said Beast Boy, walking closer to the door. "Maybe there's a panel some--" he stopped as the doors immediately opened upon his presence, revealing an expansive and tall room, it's walls lined with stacks of many immense, steel boxes; other than those things, it was fairly plain, simple lines of lights across the tall ceiling, floors tiled with large, reflective, metal squares. "...Or, maybe it'll just open for me," he finished, cautiously walking into the room with Raven and Starfire.

Despite the assumption that the people they were looking for would be closer to the ground, as they moved toward the center of the rectangular room, the three Titans' eyes were drawn to the exceedingly tall ceiling, leading them to wonder just how far underground they had traveled. Nearly reaching the height of the ceiling, the many steel boxes towered over the three.

Turning her attention away from the ceiling for a moment, Starfire looked down the right side of the room. There, at the very end, centered at the bottom of the wall, was a figure standing with his back turned, directly under a peculiar, horizontal, square outcropping. The figure wore a black cape... enough reason for Starfire to separate herself from the others and rush toward that end of the room.

Moving closer, Starfire's suspicions were confirmed: from the spiky hair, to the yellow and black cape, it was exactly who she thought it was. "Robin!" she called, mere feet from his position. She opened her arms, ready to lock him in an embrace, whether he was ready for one or not.

Facing the wall, Robin continued his attempts at trying to unlock... or break the heavy cuffs that completely enclosed his hands and arms up to his elbows. Countless attempts at the wall had only created countless dents... leaving the cuffs completely unscathed. Looking to his side a bit, he realized what he could try... but he knew he might end up hurting himself more than anything.

Suddenly hearing a familiar voice from behind him, Robin quickly turned around and immediately felt his heart sink. "Starfire, wait!" he shouted, wide eyed, holding his cuffed hands out. He was too late...

As soon as Starfire reached the area around Robin, she came to a forced halt. Suspended in the air, seemingly encased in a net of electricity, her eyes glowed as she let out a reverberating scream. Three walls of bright, orange energy revealed themselves, continuing to hold Starfire in place. However, in a bright explosion of energy, she was thrown away from the forcefield and dashed against the floor where she rolled to a stop.

"Starfire!" shouted Robin, running forward as far as he could before the walls of energy issued a warning spark. At this moment, Beast Boy and Raven—who had already followed their friend quite a distance—came running to Starfire's aid, kneeling down to help her up.

"Ugh..." groaned Starfire, hand on her forehead as she groggily brought herself to her feet. "What... was that?" she asked, looking back to Robin.

Robin let out a relieved breath, infinitely thankful for Starfire's alien strength... he had been knocked out for hours when he tried touching the energy. "It's a forcefield..." replied Robin, glaring up at the outcropping. "Me weight against this tile keeps it going," he continued, looking down at the area beneath his feet. "I haven't been able to stay in the air long enough to get out... Maybe you guys can find a way to disable its power source out there," he suggested.

Beast Boy nodded in agreement. "Right, we'll look around and--" he started, interrupted by Starfire moving over to Robin's holding cell once again.

"We have little time to waste," said Starfire, taking a serious expression as she examined the now invisible energy. "This must be done quickly," she said, slowly reaching a hand forward.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Robin questioned warily.

"...Not entirely," replied Starfire, continuing nevertheless. She squinted one eye as the energy reacted to the presence of her hand, lighting up its three walls again. Feeling her fingers passing through to the other side, Starfire brought her other hand to the wall, causing more bright energy to spark about. Tightening her muscles, she quickly pulled her hands apart, creating a good-sized separation in the orange wall. Carefully leaning in, she reached a hand out to Robin as the electricity began to surge across her body. In compliance, Robin stepped forward and held his heavy cuffs outward. Now holding the wall open with just her shoulders, Starfire reached in; grasping the cuffs for a moment, she focused energy in her hands. In an instant, Robin's bonds shattered, freeing his hands as the many pieces of metal fell to the floor.

Reaching beyond his hands, Starfire took hold of Robin, wrapping her arms around his back, her eyes now glowing green. Suddenly, in a bright explosion, Robin and Starfire were sent flying away from the cell, rolling to a stop on the floor quite a distance away. The two remained still for a moment, not entirely sure of what had happened. Upon opening their eyes, they found themselves frozen in place. Starfire, hands keeping her a good distance away from the ground, resided directly above Robin—who stared up blankly, his face slowly turning red.

"Whoa, hey, no time to _celebrate _just yet," came Beast Boy's amused voice.

Robin and Starfire turned slowly to see Beast Boy grinning mischievously and Raven smirking in a similar fashion. The two quickly shot up from their positions and put some distance between each other. "What—do you... um..." they spoke in unison, trying to place the attention anywhere else.

"So," Robin coughed, covering his mouth, "you guys find Cyborg?" he questioned, his heartbeat finally slowing down... a little.

Beast Boy let his grin disappear, scratching the back of his head as he looked around the room. "No... Do you know where he is?" he asked in response, seeing no signs of his robotic friend in the room.

"Yeah," replied Robin, looking around for a moment. "I think he's--"

"Everywhere," came a highly muffled voice from somewhere near the four Titans.

Beast Boy looked to the large, steel boxes that surrounded the room, still feeling like his senses had been heightened by his previous _transformation_. Moving over to the suspected one, he pressed an ear up against it. "Cyborg?" he queried.

"No, it's the Puppet King," Cyborg responded sardonically. "...Get me outta here!" he shouted, moving around and causing the box to shake.

Rubbing his ringing ear, Beast Boy backed away from the box and looked to Starfire. "It's all yours," he said with a smile, motioning his hands at the box.

Stretching out her arms, a little thankful for the distraction, Starfire moved over to the box and took hold of its front side. "You are ready?" she asked.

"Ready as any guy stuck in a big, metal box," said Cyborg, obviously a little ticked off from his hours upon hours of being locked away. Smiling sheepishly, Starfire concentrated hard and quickly tore away the front side of the box and tossed it aside. Widening everyone's eyes, only Cyborg's head and torso came rolling out of the otherwise empty box. "...A little help," he said, looking up at the others.

Quickly setting Cyborg up vertically, Beast Boy looked at his friend in confusion. "So... where's the rest of you?" he asked.

Cyborg motioned his head to point at the other boxes in the room. "Wanna make sure I don't go anywhere? Make sure I'm everywhere," he explained with an anything-but-amused face, scanning the boxes with his ocular implant. "That one, on the top of the corner pile, it has one of my legs. My other leg is in that one," he said, pointing his chin at another box, "and my arms are in there... and there," he finished, directing his friends. "And, once you find 'em, _somebody_ put me back together... just... not him." Cyborg looked to Beast Boy. "I'd rather not look like... whatever his imagination cooks up again."

- - - - - -

"Ah, that's better!" said Cyborg, stretching out his arms and legs as he and the others exited the holding room into the hallway. "Thanks, Star," he said, checking to see if all his joints were working properly.

"It is no trouble. I have repaired machines in much worse condition during battle training on Okaara," explained Starfire with a smile.

"During _battle_ training?"

"Yes. Many things were broken."

Suddenly, the Titans came to a halt and stared down the hallway in silence. In an instant, they realized their relaxing was a little premature. Simply being back together was only half of the battle; Green was still out there... with an army of Sentinels at his side.

"He told me about that creature we fought..." said Robin, turning around to face the rest of the team, "said it was _'one of many'_." Sparing a moment, he gave the others a sobering glance. "If there's more than one of that thing, and he plans to use them against the city... then we have to act now. Do you know where he went?"

"Follow me," said Raven, taking a position ahead of the group and leading them up to the end of the slanted hallway. "He went running around that corner," she said, pointing to the other end of the hall. "But..." She shook her head, "he's probably gone by now," she explained, thinking about how much time there had been since the last time they saw him. As the Titans made it around the second corner, all pairs of eyes in the vicinity widened. They stood in awe, staring down the apparently endless stretch of hallway; countless circular lights followed the way along the ceiling, lighting it until no more could be seen by the average eye.

"My guess: ...he's still running," commented Beast Boy. "He's got a big head-start."

"Then we'll just have to run faster than him. All right," started Robin, readying himself for a long run. "Titans, go!" he shouted, never realizing before how good it felt to say those words.

At Robin's order, all five Titans began running on foot down the hallway. It was a little unnerving, for all of them, to see the seemingly infinite stretch of hallway continue to seem infinite no matter how much distance they put between themselves and the starting point. To the Titans, it felt as though a fierce wind was rushing against them as they moved along; the sound was intense, almost making even their frequent footsteps seem quiet in comparison.

Breathing heavily as he ran along with the others, Beast Boy was surprised to find all his previous fatigue gone; his heart no longer carried that peculiar beat caused by the shocks. He assumed he had the Beast to thank for that... if nothing else. Looking up, he took notice of Robin leading the group along, Cyborg at his left and Starfire at his right. Going off to fight Green without permission or plausible reason... getting everyone in this situation: the thought of his previous little betrayal hadn't left Beast Boy's mind... and now that everyone was back together, it was far more prominent. Moving up to the front of the group between Robin and Cyborg, he decided to issue an apology.

"Hey, Robin..." he started, speaking up over the clatter, getting the Boy Wonder's attention as they continued running. "I'm... sorry for getting all of us into this mess. If it hadn't been for what I did..."

"Don't apologize," Robin cut in, holding his left hand up for a moment. "It was a good plan. The only problem was you were trying to do it alone."

"Huh?" Beast Boy distorted his expression to one of confusion.

"When Green said he needed to take us in, I thought it would be a good opportunity to examine the Sentinels up close, figure out what they're really about. That's why I told you to stand down. I wanted them to arrest us."

"Say 'what'?" Cyborg chimed in with a high-pitched voice. "And you were planning on telling us about this... when?" he questioned, moving closer to the conversation.

"Keeping more secrets, are we, _Mr. X_?" Raven added an accusing question from behind everyone.

"That's not it... No!" Robin felt his shoulders tightening from his teammates' stares... especially Starfire's. "Actually... I had only thought about it while we were there... after that, it was a little late to tell anyone about it," he explained shakily.

"Hehe... looks like I got someone to share the blame with. Nice excuse." said Beast Boy with a grin.

"It's true!" Robin barked in defiance. "In any case... we're all here right now, nothing can change that. But we have a chance to stop this guy, and we should take it." A breath of relief escaped Robin's lungs as he noticed each of his friends nod in agreement. Before turning back to face the way ahead, he noticed something else... something peculiar. Beast Boy, Raven, and Starfire were not moving as they normally would; all three were on foot. "Something wrong?" asked Robin, directing his question to Starfire.

"What do you mean?" responded Starfire, giving him an inquisitive look.

"...You're not flying."

"Oh," Starfire looked down to her feet, having almost forgotten about her loss of certain powers. "This was Green's doing... he has tried to take away our abilities through inhibiting technology," she explained, bringing her hands into focus as she continued running. "I can no longer fly... but I can focus energy," she said, making her hands glow a bright green.

"I can't manage ghosting through walls... but it seems my telekinetic powers have been enhanced," added Raven, wondering just how that worked out anyway...

"I can't change into animals..." Beast Boy trailed off, almost afraid to mention the dormant Beast. It still scared him... if that Sentinel had been a real person... "Um... He put this thing in my neck that shocks me when I try," he said, attempting to change the subject as he pointed to his neck.

Examining the back of Beast Boy's neck, Cyborg saw the device beneath his skin and decided to visually scan everyone else to see if there was anything strange. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked. "Looks like he tried to disable your powers... but only succeeded in condensing them. Your bloodstreams are flooded with nanomachines; that must be what's doing it."

"Nanomachines... When did that happen?" Beast Boy looked at his hands, feeling his skin crawl. "So, I guess this means we're all due for another ride on the de-probulator...?"

"Yeah, that should fix everything. It's just... all the equipment is back at the tower... and we don't have time for a detour," Cyborg explained disappointedly.

"This could be harder than I thought..." said Robin, feeling the pressure of the moment greaten.

"Or, it could be a blessing in disguise," Raven spoke up, glancing over at Beast Boy for a moment. "They may be harder to reach than before, but, in many ways, our powers are more focused... If we figure out how to use them, we may be more of a threat to him than he realizes." Being the first to look back to the hallway ahead, Raven squinted her eyes at something in the distance. "What is that?" she questioned.

- - - - - -

Cautiously, the Titans stepped through the tall threshold into the dark room on the other side. As they made their way forward, their footsteps tapped against a lengthy and wide metal platform with railings on either side; from here, they could sense they were suspended above an enormous room, though nothing else could be seen save for what was being illuminated by the lights from the corridor. Loud mechanical whirring could be heard resonating off the distant walls in the shadows.

Quickening her pace, Starfire moved to the front of the group and raised one hand high in the air. Imbuing her palm with energy, she lit up a good area around the Titans in green light, though everything beyond her reach remained cloaked in shadow, leaving the rest of the room a mystery. "What is this place?" Starfire questioned, trying to see into the darkness.

"That noise..." Cyborg closed his eyes to focus on the loud whirring in the distance. "Electronics... big machines... it almost sounds like a factory."

"Green said that creature was one of many..." said Raven. "Well... if he wanted to damage the city in some way, he would need more than a few..."

Beast Boy gasped at the realization. "He'd need..." he started.

"An army," came a familiar voice from ahead on the platform, echoing in the darkness. Suddenly, countless blinding lights switched on loudly from the ceiling, revealing a blond-haired figure standing in the Titans' path, clad in a black uniform. However, attention was quickly drawn over the right side of the platform... where the subject of Green's words resided.

The sight on the floor far below caused a collective gasp from the Titans. Possibly hundreds of tall, broad-shouldered, white figures stood together, equidistant from one another, almost making up the entire bottom floor—save for a small portion under the platform and the two rooms it connected across the southern wall. The creatures were all immobile, looking as though they had not been activated yet as they stared blankly off at a large pair of closed doors. To the backs of the monsters, at the very end of the grouping, several large, unidentifiable machines stood high against the east wall, whirring the ground to a slight shake from their power.

"These are the true Sentinels..." continued Green.

Turning away from the railing, Robin looked to his left and narrowed his eyes at the young man. "Who is this...?" he questioned.

"Oh, that's Green... He's been a kid this entire time, by the way," replied Beast Boy, still wondering how this one boy could have pulled off the entire scheme... Replacing the city's police force, creating an army of phase-shifting monsters... it all seemed far too complicated, to put it lightly.

Robin stepped forward, surprised to see Green take a step back in response. Curious, he looked over the boy's shoulder to the room on the other end of the platform; through the open doorway, he could several computer panels and displays inside the small room. Green took another cautious step back. Slowly turning his eyes away, Robin looked to the stationary creatures on the bottom floor, realizing they must not have been activated yet... They had caught up to Green, and now he was stalling for time. Two could play at that game.

"So, what was it?" asked Robin, causing Green to slow his movement and raise an eyebrow. "Your father's company went under for those weapon deals... and now your taking revenge on the city for it?"

Almost holding his sides in amusement, Green let out a series of loud chuckles. "_That's_ what you think is going on?" he asked, letting his laughter subside. "My intentions are far more... personal than mass and unfocused vengeance. I have absolutely nothing against the city..." he said, confusing the Titans with his words as he took another slow step back. "The four founding members of that company... now in hiding, somewhere in the city. They're the one's I'm after."

"I don't get it..." said Beast Boy, looking to Robin for clarification, though the Boy Wonder seemed no more enlightened.

"Sentinel Weapons Systems..." started Green, bitter amusement in his tone. "A company that specialized in creating weapons for the military. Energy based firearms, explosives, robotics... soldiers." The boy's face suddenly became deathly serious. "They put on a pretty face for the media... as pretty a face as a company like theirs could. But they had secrets much darker than business arrangements with criminals," he continued, backing away ever so slightly. "My former friends and I... we were part of their greatest ambition: the Child Soldier project. Three children of separate genetic descent, born into the world with one purpose, one intention... to be raised from the ground up as soldiers." Green's malcontent could be read plainly across his face. "When the company's illegal dealings were discovered... they scrapped their black projects and placed the blame on figureheads to save their own skin... We soon became nothing more than their dirty little secret, tossed aside like garbage and left to live in a world we didn't even know existed..." he finished, starting to pick up his speed.

Robin remained silent for a moment; he hardly expected such a valid reason for madness. "...But to endanger the lives of innocent people for revenge..." he started. "You want to bring the company to justice, but that isn't the way."

"I'll be the judge of that. The end will justify the means by removing four evil men from the world," said Green, turning around and making a break for the room.

"Stop!" shouted Robin, quickly taking chase. Extending his staff, Robin rushed forward and attempted to slash down at Green.

Stepping out of the way of Robin's attack, Green grasped his wrist tightly and twisted it, causing the Boy Wonder to drop his staff; the weapon fell to the platform with a metal clack and rolled over the edge. "I always thought those remote controlled battle-suits were too cumbersome. This is a lot easier," he said, giving Robin a sinister grin. Quickly moving his arm, he shoved Robin away in one surprisingly simple motion. In the air, Robin found himself drifting over the edge of the railing, at too steep an angle to take hold of it and halt his descent; in an instant, he watched the platform pass him by.

"Robin!" shouted Starfire, running forward with the others as she watched Green toss him away. Without stopping, as soon as she got close enough, Starfire leaped over the edge of the railing and oriented herself vertically, attempting to catch up with Robin. The two found themselves mere feet apart; falling at the same rate, Starfire attempted to hold her hand out for Robin, seemingly unable to get closer. Feeling the ground closing in on them, Robin struggled to take hold of Starfire's hand. As soon as their hands met, Starfire quickly pulled Robin closer.

To Robin's surprise, Starfire held him close and quickly switched their positions in the air. From his position, he witnessed them closing in on the floor. He looked down to see Starfire bracing herself, eyes closed... She couldn't fly... she was going to take the impact for him. "Starfire, don't!" Robin's protest was too late. In an instant, the two collided with the floor, creating a loud thud. Rolling away from each other, Robin and Starfire both let out a breath and appeared to slip into unconsciousness.

"Robin, Starfire!" Cyborg called, looking over the railing to see his friends lying still on the ground. "Oh, man..." His eyes widened. Turning back to Green, Cyborg glared and readied his sonic cannon, charging forward to attack. Getting close enough, he heard his weapon release a defiant fizzle instead of a normal blast. "What--" he became cut off as Green issued a kick to his stomach. Surprised by the sheer strength of the attack, Cyborg found himself falling over the railing as well. Quickly, he reached out and took hold of the metal, swallowing hard as he watched it nearly give way under his weight.

"You think I'd just leave your defensive systems alone?" questioned Green, watching Cyborg hang on to the platform with one hand. "Couldn't let you use that cannon like before--" Green abruptly stopped his speech to dodge an incoming attack from Raven. Hands glowing white, the empath threw several punches toward the boy. Green ducked and stepped away from Raven's attacks as she continued. Beast Boy joined in, attempting to trip the boy with a kick; this seemed to be affective, forcing Green to lose his balance. Seeing an opportunity as he was being attacked from both sides, Green elbowed Beast Boy in the stomach, causing him to double back; grabbing Raven's arm as she threw another punch, he lifted her into the air and tossed her over the edge.

"Gotcha!" shouted Cyborg, taking hold of Raven's cloak with his free hand as she passed by.

"...Thanks," said Raven, pulling at her cloak to alleviate the stress on her neck. Hearing a loud creaking sound, she looked up to see the railing break under Cyborg's hand. As the two began falling, Raven, calm and careful, focused her hand at the ground. Immediately, before the two could hit the metal, a large, white bubble of energy enveloped them for a moment. However, the bubble soon popped, dropping Cyborg and Raven flat on the ground... albeit with less force than there would have been. Raven groaned and rubbed her forehead as she and Cyborg stood up. _'...I'll be glad to have my old powers back,' _she thought disdainfully. Raven was given a certain amount of relief as she watched Robin and Starfire slowly stand up from the corner of her eye... however, she quickly realized who was still in danger, looking back up to the unreachable platform.

"Phew..." said Beast Boy, taking a moment to look over the edge of the railing at his recovering friends. Taking in a deep breath, he turned back to glare at Green. "All this... just for revenge." Beast Boy shook his head, readying a fighting stance as he stepped into the center of the platform. "Ever heard of overkill?"

Though he tried to avoid it, Green could only see the eyes of the Beast when he looked at his opponent, making him reluctant to fight. "I won't have peace of mind... until my _creators_ are gone from this life," he said, deciding to continue his backward movement toward the computer room. "On that day, we lost all purpose... we were nothing. Red and Blue, the fools, wanted to use this army—another of the company's well-kept secrets—to help establish a heroic image for themselves in the eyes of the city: let the robots rampage through the streets, and just before any real damage could be done, swoop in and defeat them all... they had been reprogrammed to avoid harming humans. But I saw a much greater purpose for them." Green motioned his hand at the immense army of robotic creatures. "They could be used to seek out the four people who designed them... an ironic and fitting end, to be destroyed by the very weapons they created," he continued, smirking at his own plan. "After that, when enough damage is done, that's when I'll take my place and defeat them. They're not designed to fight me, after all."

"You're a coward..." said Beast Boy, receiving an angry glare from Green. "You raised this army as an excuse to kill... and to play hero,"

"Coward...?" questioned Green. "Those two, who abandoned the plan when things got too real... they're the cowards. I was the only one with the intention of seeing it through to the end, while they sat around thinking up names for themselves," he said, dropping all expression from his face. "Whether I'm truly defeating that army or not... I'm owed a purpose, a place in the world, and I'll take it whatever way I can." Green stopped his backward movement, remaining silent for a moment. "Do you have any idea... do you know what it's like to be intended as a weapon from the day of your birth...?"

Stopping along with Green, Beast Boy's face became deathly serious. "No, I don't," he said, glancing over the railing at his right. "But I know someone who does..." Beast Boy turned his attention back to Green. "She taught me that no matter how you start... your real path through life is a choice you make; nothing else can get in the way of that, not even what might sound like fate." Beast Boy let a small smile spread across his face. "She was born as a weapon, but she dedicated her life to proving she could be something different. She's an example of an unbreakable spirit... the strongest person I know."

"You don't know anything..." Green shook his head slowly, backing away again.

"You say you want a real purpose, but the only thing you've done... is exactly what they created you for."

"Shut up!" shouted Green. Clenching his fists tightly, he gave up on retreating to the computer room, rushing forward at Beast Boy in pure anger. Coming to a critical distance, Green threw his arm forward and struck Beast Boy across the face.

Having little time to react, Beast Boy simply took the strike and fell backward several steps. Catching and holding himself up against the railing, he faced Green once again, wiping the pain away from his lower jaw. Bringing himself to his feet, he attempted to fight back, but found that his opponent was far too fast. Beast Boy doubled over as Green dealt a powerful kick to his stomach.

"I may not be controlling the suit anymore, but that doesn't mean I can't fight," Green grabbed Beast Boy by the collar and slammed him up against the railing.

Suddenly, Beast Boy's face grew a sly grin. "It also means... you're a lot lighter." Tilting backward, Beast Boy took hold of Green's collar and intentionally brought himself and his opponent over the edge. Immediately, Green let go of Beast Boy and reached back, trying to grasp onto the platform; however, it was much too late, both already halfway to the ground.

"Don't worry, I got him!" said Cyborg, rushing forward for the catch before any of the others could. Arms outstretched, Cyborg hurried to the area under Beast Boy and... quickly found himself knocked to the ground by the wayward changeling. As Cyborg and Beast Boy fell out of the way, the Titans could hardly hear the sound of Green coming in contact with the floor... though the sight was enough to send a chill through their bodies.

Beast Boy shakily stood up, wobbling on his feet as he stepped away from Cyborg. "Thanks for... breaking my fall," he said, steadying himself.

"Yeah, thanks for breakin' my neck," Cyborg responded sarcastically, standing up straight. Looking back to the others, he saw Starfire holding Robin up in her arms, Raven seeming immensely relieved, and Beast Boy wobbling over to join them; they were all a little beat up, but it seemed they were victorious.

"He is not..." Starfire trailed off, looking at Green, who remained motionless on the floor quite a distance from everyone, "is he?" she asked, avoiding the cruel word in question.

Robin shook his head, examining the boy from a distance. "I don't know..." he answered seriously.

As if on cue, Green's body began to move. Weakly, he placed a hand on the ground and lifted himself up to glare angrily at the Titans. Gritting his teeth, he wiped a bit of blood away from his mouth.

"No way..." said Beast Boy, mouth agape in bewilderment. Beast Boy knew he himself would have been knocked out by the fall... but Green just got up as though he had only tripped. There was obviously more to him than what met the eye.

"It's over," Robin spoke up, despite the surprise everyone shared. "You won't be activating that army now. You're--"

Green interrupted Robin with a loud chuckle as he stood up tiredly. "Idiot... What makes you think I didn't already activate them?" he questioned, amusement in his tone, disregarding his obviously injured state. "They just needed a little time to... warm up," he finished, pointing beyond the Titans with a sinister grin on his face.

Cautiously, all five Titans turned around to find countless pairs of red eyes staring back at them.

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**Author's Note:** Phew. Almost done. Just one more numbered chapter and an epilogue. I know, I told a couple people this might be the last chapter, but it proved to be a lot longer than I expected XD. Plus, this chapter had been delayed enough as it is... I didn't want to take any longer.

So, there you go... Despite the fact that Green was the most psychotic villain I've ever written, he still had a reason for his madness. Anyway, I hope his plan and true relationship to SWS came as a surprise to you guys :D.

Also, XD I know Robin and Cyborg were left out of the last couple of chapters entirely, so I hope this one made up for that, in some form. I tried to throw in a couple of belated R/S moments as well—Robin being freed from the containment cell being my favorite to write :).

Thanks for your patience, everyone :). I will try my best not to let a delay of this magnitude happen with the next chapter.

**Next Chapter Preview:** "Beast Boy... I've said it before. No matter how self-centered you make yourself out to be... you always risk your own safety before anyone else's; that is your single greatest strength... and weakness." Chapter Eight: Our Beloved Fool.


	8. Our Beloved Fool

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Chapter Eight: Our Beloved Fool

Making up the entire north half of the immense room, countless tall, white creatures stood ready; their collective footsteps were heard in frightening clarity as they turned away from the large doors to eye six figures near the south wall. Beast Boy stared off at the multitude of shudder-like, piercing red eyes and felt his shoulders fall along with his stomach. _One_ was hard enough to fight... but a hundred? Looking to his left and right, Beast Boy saw no clear way out; the area under the platform was actually cut into the wall, blocking the possibility of escape routes on either side.

Hoping to buy themselves time, the Titans began backing away slowly. For every two steps they made, the army took one forward in their direction. Eventually, they passed by the injured Green, who remained on the ground, watching as the five worked their way to a dead end. Backs suddenly making contact with the steel wall, the Titans looked to each other for a moment, letting the knowledge sink in that... they were in for a big fight.

"There's nowhere to run..." said Green, groaning as he pulled himself along the ground to face the Titans with a contented, albeit fatigued, expression. "It ends for all of you here, tonight. And the city won't even know how it happened... the struggle during your final stand..." He chuckled in a low tone. Hearing the footsteps approaching at a peculiar rate, Green turned away from the Titans, peering over his shoulder to witness something shocking. Forming an incomplete circle, the creatures were beginning to surround him... just as they had surrounded their targets during the test runs... "No!"

- - - - - -

_A young boy, with a spark of confidence in his green eyes, led his two friends onward from a lengthy, brightly lit hallway into a separate, contrasting room, where a single, metal platform stretched onward into shadow. The footsteps of the three teenagers echoed in the darkness, revealing the room to be much larger than... at least two of them had expected. The blond boy in the lead, Green, looked over his shoulder to examine the attitudes of the boy and girl following him. Red, curious but upbeat as ever, looked around herself, pushing strands of red hair away from her eyes and squinting to get a better view of things. Blue, in stark contrast to his female companion, seemed only skeptical... always examining situations down to every last detail... Green hated that._

"_Well, here it is," said Green enthusiastically, removing a small, cylindrical remote from the breast pocket on his black shirt. Turning his head to grin at his friends, he clicked down the only button on the object with his thumb. Immediately, several bright lights switched on loudly from the ceiling, illuminating the immense room with their blinding light._

_Red and Blue squinted, covering their faces as their eyes slowly adjusted to the sudden change in contrast. As soon as the room came back into focus for them, their mouths fell agape at the sight beyond and below the railing. A small but significant amount of peculiar white figures stood in the center of the room below, facing a plain, featureless metal wall._

"_The Overseers' dream... Next to us, of course, it was their biggest ambition."_

"_Cool," Red commented, more enthralled with how interesting the creatures looked than anything else._

"_The Sentinel Project?" questioned Blue, his voice echoing in the large room. "I always heard Marcus talking about it... A revolutionary A.I. system... Battle androids that attack opportunistically based on preset algorithms and commands, but make many of the middle decisions on their own... An ability to shift between phases of matter. The ultimate fighting machines."_

"_Tch. Yeah, if you want to make it sound boring," scoffed Green, turning away from the small army for a moment. "I see something else here. Namely, an opportunity for the plan..."_

"_Hm... Ya think?" questioned Red, her mind mulling over the idea, almost excited by the prospect of doing something heroic... even if it was just an act. "They do kinda fit the part."_

"_I... don't know," Blue spoke up, looking carefully at the creatures on the ground. "These things... they were in the middle of production when the company shut down. They could be riddled with software problems... not to mention the fact that they were designed to think on their own, beyond their orders... how do we know they'd be able to pull it off without hurting anyone?"_

"_That's where you come in," started Green, walking over to Blue and playfully slapping him on the shoulder. "With your knowledge of these types of things, you could easily reprogram and debug them, right?" he questioned. "If your conscience is getting the better of you, remember that in the end, we'll be destroying these abominations... They'll never be used as weapons... just as a little stepping stone."_

"_Well..."_

"_You know the world won't accept people like us unless we do something extraordinary... Defeating an army of these... things falls along those lines, doesn't it?" queried Green. "If we tried to walk out into the world as we are... you know what would happen."_

"_Come on, Alistair, this could be our chance to prove ourselves... to show the world we're more than just... broken weapons. Defeating these robots will make them see what we can do... then we can start doing something important and stop being useless," Red explained, giving Blue a pleading glance. Standing to the side of the conversation, Green seemed to cringe at the mention of Blue's chosen name._

_Blue tried not to look into Red's eyes, turning away and scratching the back of his neck nervously. Looking to the army, he took in a deep breath. "It's two against one... I can't argue," he said, giving his friends a bit of a smile. Suddenly, he became serious once again. "Even after I reprogram them, these things may be unpredictable... I hope you know what you're thinking, Green..."_

"_Heh, don't I always?"_

_- - - - - -_

_Green looked across the empty platform, listening to the loud mechanical whirring as he moved along into the immense storage room. His footsteps came to a stop at the end of the platform adjacent the computer room, where he stood for a moment, looking at two bits of metal protruding up over the edge between a separation in the railing. Kneeling down, he pressed against the metal, extending a ladder to the level beneath. Taking hold of the vertical parts of the ladder, he slid down to the bottom and, letting go, looked across to the army-in-the-making._

_Navigating his way through the main grouping of Sentinels, Green stared up into their red, robotic eyes, imagining their full potential with pride. Finally exiting the stationary crowd, he looked over to the towering machines by the wall, where Blue stood, tapping away at the keyboard of a low-lying computer console. The entire wall was made up of three large, cylindrical machines, all made of thick, heavy steel. One, an immense generator stood tallest on the very left, it's many thick wires running through the walls and connecting to the other machines. In the middle, a smaller, almost human sized capsule stood, a hinged door on its front, and a tube extending from its top, connecting to the next cylindrical machine on the right... the one Blue mentioned to contain the secret to the Sentinels' abilities._

"_Any luck?" queried Green, peering over Blue's shoulder at the computer console. From where he stood, he could see the screen displayed the silhouette of a Sentinel, its body partly filled with white color from the bottom up._

"_...Unfortunately," replied Blue, looking warily at the center capsule... he dared not imagine what would happen when he finished. He was almost prepared to run if the door happened to open. "The mechanical parts, its CPU and eyes, are placed in that capsule," he explained, pointing to the object with an almost shaky finger. "The computer runs through a sequence of--"_

"_If I wanted all that techno mumbo-jumbo, I'd have talked to a machinist," Green cut in._

"_...I am a machinist," Blue responded, grimacing a bit._

_Green began to stumble over his next few words... "I meant... how 'bout in English?" he asked, finally forming a sentence._

_Blue lowered his eyebrows and let out a quiet sigh. "This computer creates a body for the thing by pumping a substance from that container into that capsule," he explained, pointing to each object. "The Sentinel's 'brain' does the rest by deciding how much of the substance to use, and what its own body should look like when the excess substance is drained and recycled--" Blue cut himself off and stepped away as the center capsule loudly released compressed air from its door._

_Green and Blue stood silent in wait, one seeming almost excited, and the other... quite the opposite. Slowly, the capsule door swung open, finally revealing the interior, which, at the moment, was filled with a thick mist. The mist rolled out of the container and on to the metal floor beneath, bit by bit showing the figure that stood within. Finally the white giant was revealed in its frightening entirety, eyes scanning the room. Making a sudden move, it pulled back its arms and leaped out of the capsule onto the floor, causing Green and Blue to take quick steps back. The two stood still, almost feeling like they were in for a fight... when the Sentinel simply walked forward to a vacant spot near the others and shut itself off._

_Blue took in a deep breath and let it out in relief. "They called the substance 'Proteum'..." he started, looking at the number of Sentinels, which he knew would soon increase. "On its own, it has some very peculiar properties, especially when it comes into contact with organic material. The scientists got past that by allowing each Sentinel complete control over its composition via the CPU. When a certain signal from the Sentinel's brain is sent, it can bond with any one material surrounding it. Perfect for defense, stealth, and tactical operations. And this company was planning to sell them to the highest bidder..."_

"_Well, then they're a lot like us," said Green, not taking his eyes off the army. "They share a chemical running through their veins... a chemical that makes them weapons, soldiers... yet so much more." Green brought his hands up to his face and looked on thoughtfully for a moment, moving his fingers about. "Though we're not truly related, we're like brother's in that way, you and I. By the blood they gave us."_

_- - - - - -_

_Rolling forward under the shot, Green stepped up close to Red and knocked the rifle from her hands, quickly moving out of her way. From behind, he held her arms tightly so she couldn't retaliate, pressing the barrel of his gun up against her chin. "Close quarters combat was always my specialty, remember?" he asked in a slight whisper. Red simply growled in frustration. "We could have had a place, the three of us... but you two turned against me. I've waited too long for this. I won't let you take it away." Pressing harder with the gun, Green let out a low chuckle. "When I release them, I'll make sure to have your signatures on their blood-list as well."_

- - - - - -

Green's eyes widened, as he was now surrounded on almost all sides by the true Sentinels. By placing Red and Blue on their list of targets, he had inadvertently signed his own death warrant. The ability enhancing chemical fused into their genes before birth... it gave them all a similar _scent_... and now the bloodhounds were on the prowl. Attempting to crawl away, he found himself pinned down from behind by two Sentinels, while another approached him from the front and stared down ominously.

"I won't go like this..." Green stared up into the red eyes of his opponent. Suddenly taking a furious expression, Green pressed his hands against the ground as hard as he could, causing his entire body to shake, managing to drag himself along the ground several feet despite the extra weight. Coming to a fully upright stance, two Sentinels still hanging on to him, he took one step forward before the front Sentinel lunged at him. In a surprising turn of events, Green twisted his body around and tossed, haphazardly, one Sentinel toward the approaching one, knocking both to the ground. With the other android, which still clung to him, he turned and stepped fast, ramming it into the inside of the circle, causing little damage—the Sentinels simply holding their positions strongly. Relentless, Green climbed over the disoriented one and leaped over the others, falling to the clear ground on the other side beside the wall of immense machines. Quickly standing up again, he rushed a good distance over to the computer console and began entering something into the keyboard, all the while limping due to his injured legs. The Sentinels merely advanced on him, some staying behind to move toward the Titans.

"If I go... so does everyone else..." Green spoke in a depleted tone, looking over his shoulder to see the two immense doors begin to slide away from each other, revealing a lengthy, floodlit, and cavernous hallway on the other side. Grinning with one eye partly closed, he rushed forward at the Sentinels, leaping into the air above their heads; using the creatures' shoulders as ground, he attempted to make his way to the doors. However, halfway, several Sentinels reached up and grasped him by the legs, pulling him down into the crowd where he disappeared without an audible word of protest.

"Ah, man..." Cyborg started, cautious of the approaching Sentinels as he watched the carnage unfold in the center of the army. "We gotta help him... Doesn't matter what he did... we can't just let him get killed out there." He looked to the others for confirmation.

"Right," nodded Robin, his sense of duty overpowering his extreme dislike for the boy in trouble.

"Yes, he must be made to face justice for what he has done," Starfire added, imbuing her palms with energy and facing the advancing Sentinels.

"Well... this shouldn't be too hard," said Raven, sarcastically. "But we have a chance," she finished, looking to Beast Boy who stood at her side.

"Five against a hundred?" Beast Boy managed a small grin. "I like those odds," he said, readying a fighting stance as he turned to face the army. "Titans..." he started, taking a step forward as time seemed to slow down, "together!" he shouted as everyone rushed forward into the fray.

Starfire, the first to make it to one of the five approaching Sentinels, reached up and slammed her open hand into its face. Moments later the creature's head was enveloped in a loud, directional explosion of green light. Surprisingly giving way immediately, the creature's body dissolved into a large puddle of white liquid on the ground.

"All right, Star!" shouted Cyborg enthusiastically, throwing his weight at a Sentinel and knocking it over. Suddenly, as a result of Starfire's attack, the Titans witnessed each and every Sentinel in the room turn their way. Leaving an unconscious Green behind on the ground, they moved on to the greater threat.

"Think you can do that for the rest of them?" Robin questioned, removing several small, metal spheres from his belt and hurling them at the army in the distance. Several on the front lines were enveloped in the resulting explosion, the smoke clearing to reveal them regaining their balance, more already picking up their slack.

"I believe so," Starfire nodded, looking back to face the others. "I will need cover," she said, quickly turning around to face the four nearest creatures. Finding the closest to her, she repeated her previous attack, reducing the Sentinel to a harmless mess on the floor.

"I can hold off several, while you take care of whatever gets through," said Raven as she distanced herself from the group, stretching her arms out to face the multitude of enemies. Eyes glowing white, Raven surrounded the front line of creatures in her energy, holding them in place, while the ones in the back struggled to get past her blockade.

Three Sentinels remained on the inside of the fighting 'arena' created by Raven. Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Beast Boy circled around them, waiting for their opportunities to attack. Confident enough, Starfire rushed in first, destroying another Sentinel with her newfound attack.

While Robin and Cyborg defended themselves from one Sentinel and Starfire recovered from her attack, Beast Boy found himself facing an enemy alone. He found himself hesitant to even tap into his powers. The Beast had taken full control of him before—not one, single action governed by his will. And now that all his friends were around, he was afraid to hurt them in the process if his monster managed to manifest itself again. Clenching a fist, he decided to fight them as best he could without any _help_... Rushing forward, Beast Boy swung his fist toward the creature's head. Quickly, the android used the metal floor to change its composition and Beast Boy found his hand colliding with the newly created, steely surface.

"Ow, ow, ow," said Beast Boy, backing away and flicking his wrist several times to null the pain. Looking back to the creature, he witnessed its metal arm fly forward, grasp him tightly by the collar, and lift him up several feet off the ground. Its shudder-like eyes focusing on him, Beast Boy looked away and winced as the creature pulled back its free arm for a punch. Feeling a cold sensation around his face, and hearing a sound similar to glass breaking, Beast Boy turned back to see the entire creature encased in ice. Turning to the left, he saw Cyborg rushing his way, and Robin in the ending stance of a throw.

Growling as he threw his arm downward, Cyborg shattered the arm of the Sentinel causing Beast Boy to fall to the ground. He turned to the changeling with a concerned face. "Maybe you oughta sit this one out..." he suggested. "You said you'd get hurt if you tried to use your powers--"

Running in, Starfire quickly slammed her hand against and disintegrated the Sentinel in one quick attack before it could recover. Cyborg and Beast Boy shielded themselves from the light of the explosion. "Perhaps Cyborg is right," said Starfire, breathing heavily to regain her strength as the chunks of frozen metal on the ground reverted to their white, liquid form. "We do not wish for you to hurt yourself."

Looking down, Beast Boy removed the frozen severed hand from his collar and tossed it aside, cringing. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm not leavin' you guys to fight alone," he retorted, standing up to face everyone else. "I can do this," he assured them, putting on a strong face. _'I hope...' _he thought, looking over to see the remaining Sentinels... only five had been defeated. They needed help... but if there was anything that would drive the Beast crazy with rage, it was an army of this size. There was no telling who would be caught in its path.

"Fine. Just be careful," advised Robin, his attention quickly stolen away as several Sentinels began to climb and leap over the barrier.

Concentrating harder, Raven caught a good amount of the creatures in the air with her energy, holding them still above the others, creating a taller obstruction. "I was waiting for that," she said, smirking a little. "Hurry, I don't know how many I can hold," she warned the others, bringing attention to a group of Sentinels that managed to get through. Focusing a little on Beast Boy, she understood his hesitation... he had the ability to utilize a destructive power... but it was the unpredictable nature of that power which instilled fear in him.

Wanting to do his part, Beast Boy turned to the new enemies and rushed in recklessly, tackling the foundation of a running Sentinel, causing it fall to the ground with a loud thud. Quickly moving on to another, he decided to take on the job of slowing down enemies, leaving them open for an attack from Starfire. Almost stunned by Beast Boy's actions, Robin and Cyborg shook it off and quickly joined in.

Time passed and Raven selectively allowed more Sentinels through the barricade as more were defeated on the inside. The Titans found themselves breathing heavily with fatigue, though the sheer drop in number of creatures gave them cause to press on. However, in a strange occurrence, the remaining Sentinels seemed to, all at once, stop their attempts at getting past Raven's barrier. Confused, Raven hesitantly let go of her hold on the front lines. The released Sentinels fell to the ground... and, strangely enough, began to back away as they recovered.

"What's... the deal?" questioned Beast Boy as he rested his hands against his knees, speaking through labored breaths. "Don't tell me they're giving up..."

"Oh, no..." said Cyborg, eyes widening as he watched the creatures form a close group in the center of the room. "If they're doin'... what I think they're doin'... we're in for it, _big time_." Cyborg swallowed hard and stood up fully to look at the androids.

"I do not understand. What is happening...?" started Starfire, trailing off as she witnessed the forms of every Sentinel melting away.

"They've finally begun to consider us a threat..." said Cyborg, watching warily as the formless mound of white slowly grew taller. "So they need something stronger to counter that threat with..." he finished, unintentionally taking a step back as an immense humanoid figure began to take shape. Finally completing their transformation, the Sentinels, now one colossal entity, stared down at the Titans through two, immense, frightening eyes.

"Move!" shouted Robin as the Sentinel lurched forward at them. At their leader's order and their own instinct, the Titans quickly moved away: Robin and Beast Boy to the left of the creature, Cyborg, Raven and Starfire on the other side.

The creature's movements were noticeably slower than the smaller ones', but all the more deadly. Simply from that one attack, its hand had slammed loudly into the ground, denting the metal floor and shaking the foundations of the room. To the Titans' dismay, the remains of the many defeated Sentinels began to pool around the colossus' fist. The creature absorbed the 'corpses' and started to grow in size, almost reaching the roof. Before arriving at its maximum height, the creature's head made contact with the overlying platform; immediately, the sections of metal broke apart and the platform came falling in pieces. Seeing this, the Titans decided to leave the section cut out of the wall and flee to the open area of the room; as they did this, the heavy pieces of the platform came crashing to the floor around the giant monster, shaking the ground.

Now standing by the immense, open doorway, the Titans simply waited for the monster to turn their way. Several feet from their position, motionless on the ground, they could see that Green had actually pulled himself a good distance toward the door... despite the Sentinels that had been attacking him. The boy was lying face down on the floor, his right hand outstretched as far as it could go to the doorway. Obviously... though his ambition was a selfish and cowardly one... he believed in it—wholeheartedly.

Beast Boy looked away from Green's body and found his gaze shifting to the creature, trying not to tremble as it began to turn around. He wanted to do something... but he wasn't even sure if he could use his powers as before. And if he did manage to change into that monster... he could only imagine himself turning on his friends during the fight. It wasn't worth it. Steadying himself, Beast Boy watched as the Sentinel shifted direction to fully face them... shaking the ground with each approaching step.

Making the first move, Raven stepped forward and faced her open palm to the creature. Narrowing her eyes, she concentrated on its legs. The Sentinel's legs became surrounded by white energy... which quickly faded, breaking like thin mist as the monster moved on.

"It's too strong... I can't hold it in one place," said Raven, regretfully backing away from the front lines.

"Allow me to try," Starfire spoke up. As the creature moved closer, Starfire rushed up into its path. As she infused both her hands with energy, her eyes began to glow bright green. Kneeling down, Starfire pushed herself away from the ground with her legs, surprised to find herself propelled quite a distance into air. Despite her astonishment, Starfire faced her opponent and brought an arm back as she approached its face, unintentionally closing her eyes. Slamming her hand into the monster's immense head, she allowed an explosion of energy to escape her fist. After her attack, Starfire passed over the Sentinel's right shoulder and landed safely on the ground behind it. Recovering from her fall, Starfire turned around and looked up only to see a small bit of damage on the right side of the monster's face... the wound quickly healed over and the creature continued on its way, paying her no mind.

In a fast movement, as soon as it reached a chosen distance from the Titans, the creature lifted a leg above them. Quickly separating—Cyborg and Raven taking one direction; Robin and Beast Boy, the other—the Titans rolled out of the way as the Sentinel's foot came crashing into the metal floor, once again leaving a sizable dent. Leaving little time for the Titans to move again, the monster lifted a closed hand above Cyborg and Raven, who were still recovering from their escape.

Noticing a shadow form on the ground, Raven looked up to see the creature's fist closing in. Quickly, she faced both hands up and formed a shield of energy around herself and Cyborg. On impact, the Sentinel's fist struck the shield, denting the floor, however leaving Cyborg and Raven unharmed, safe under the barrier. Relentless, the creature lifted its hand once again and slammed it against the shield... the energy seemed to flicker at this action. Repeating its attack, the Sentinel reached its right arm high into the air once more; significantly harder before, the fist came crashing against the shield. Shattering the floor and Raven's shield, the creature's closed fist was pressed firmly into a small crater in the ground as dust and debris came flying from the epicenter of its attack.

Looking through the clearing dust, Robin and Beast Boy's eyes widened in horror to see Cyborg and Raven lying... hopefully unconscious, in the crater as the creature moved its hand away. "No!" they shouted in unison, rushing up to the scene beside the immense doorway. However, before they could make it more than a few feet, the creature's left arm came sweeping across the ground at them, knocking both away toward the wall they had left behind. Backs slamming harshly against the wall, Robin and Beast Boy fell to the ground, remaining still on impact.

"Robin, Beast Boy!" Starfire gasped, witnessing the entire scene unfold before her. Preparing herself, Starfire glared at the creature from behind and quickly propelled herself at it once again. Using the momentum from its previous attack, the creature brought its left arm up struck Starfire, slamming her against the northern wall before she could strike. As the giant moved its hand away, Starfire fell away from the wall, crashing against the metal floor, knocked out cold.

- - - - - -

Beast Boy felt the darkness and quiet of unconsciousness enveloping him, constraining his arms and legs from movement. Here he waited, fighting as hard as could to get free, left to think on recent events for an unsure amount of time. He had let everyone down... a feeling he felt all too familiar with lately. His refusal to fight that monster with everything he had, ignoring his instincts because of fear... it led to his defeat... and the same fear he had been trying to avoid: harm brought to his friends.

_'I should have done something...' _his thoughts echoed in the shadows. _'I had the opportunity... and I blew it,' _he continued, thinking back to his early days. _'If I had just done what I knew I could... We might have had a chance..." _

Suddenly an image came to Beast Boy's mind. A small, masked boy walked behind four taller people, features mostly washed out by an intense orange light which engulfed everything in blinding radiance. The boy remained far behind, watching as his four team members conversed among each other, seemingly blind to his presence... or in no need of it. As time passed by, the boy drifted farther and farther away from the others until they were lost in the distance. His shadow being cast long across the ground by the source of the light, the child stood still for a moment, looking down at his feet as the light began to slowly fade. Reaching up, he pulled away his mask, revealing his short, spiky hair and odd-looking ears. Dropping his mask to the ground, he looked to the waning light and took in a deep breath. His calling stood tall beyond the horizon... a dream to become someone of purpose. Soon, the light faded, giving way to the shadows once again.

_'You're not the same person you used to be,' _Beast Boy's inner voice spoke up again, sounding considerably stronger than before. _'You won't let fear get in your way. You're strong now because of them... For the first time in your life, you have a real purpose, you're needed... that's something worth fighting for... 'til the last ounce of strength in your body is gone. Get up and fight for what you believe in, for the people who gave you a reason to believe.'_

- - - - - -

It's movement shaking the immense room, the creature turned about, scanning the six bodies spread about the area; through its mechanical eyes, it could see that all were unconscious... Now, there was only one more thing to be done, then it could move on with the rest of its orders. Turning slowly back to its closest targets—Cyborg and Raven—the giant creature halted and lifted its right hand high into the air, preparing a crushing attack. In one swift movement, it brought its fist down, a loud crash resulting from the impact. The speed of its movement caused dust to be kicked up and blown away from the area in a spiral. Strangely, the creature's hand began to shake, unable to make it the full distance to the floor, though it had come into contact with something...

"That's as far as you go... _bright eyes_," came Beast Boy's strained and distorted voice from beneath the fist. Hands pressed firmly against the underside of the monster's hand, the changeling stared up with bestial eyes, sharp-looking teeth bared and clenched tightly. Starting from his back, thin, blue strings of electricity surged across his entire body as he held the creature at bay. Beast Boy looked down at Cyborg and Raven for a moment... then back to the creature. "I'm what you should be worrying about right now!" he growled, quickly shoving his hands to the left, directing the creatures hand to crash into the wall.

"Hey, follow me, you big ugly freak!" mocked Beast Boy, running around the creature's side, in the direction of the large machines in the distance. By doing this, he hoped to lead the thing as far away from his friends as possible. However, before he could make it too far, the Sentinel slammed its left hand down on his position as though it were attempting to swat a fly, its palm crashing into the ground. Having picked up his pace before the attack came, Beast Boy quickly stopped and jumped backward onto the back of the creature's hand. Landing on one knee, he looked menacingly over his shoulder at the creature's face. Growling, Beast Boy wasted no time and began to run up the monster's arm. Pulling his right arm back as he reached its shoulder, Beast Boy kicked off as hard as he could, slamming his fist into the side of the monster's face. With a loud thud, the Sentinel's face was turned away by the force of Beast Boy's attack, causing it to lose its balance and fall against the wall.

"Still here," said Beast Boy, jumping away from the creature toward the wall, a noticeable grin on his face. Almost seeming rushed, the Sentinel quickly retaliated by sending another attack Beast Boy's way as the boy approached the wall. Shaking the room as a result of its attack, the creature watched Beast Boy merely kick away from the wall, narrowly avoiding the strike. Arms behind his head in a relaxed pose as he fell away in the air, Beast Boy gave the creature another sharp grin before rolling to a stop on the ground and quickly recovering to his feet. "I said... follow me."

Turning around, Beast Boy continued on his way toward the towering machines. He let out a satisfied breath as he heard the monster's pounding footsteps coming after him. Looking up, he eyed the biggest machine on the left... it had thick wires connecting it to the other two machines... leading him to assume it was some kind of power source. Looking over his shoulder, Beast Boy saw the creature moving his way, leaving everyone else far behind... just as planned.

"_I can increase the frequency on my cannon. At the right setting, it could supercharge the particles in the creature's body, vaporizing it in one blast, literally turning it into energy." _Cyborg's words ran through Beast Boy's mind as he stared at the immense generator in the distance. He could only hope it carried enough voltage to do any damage... There was only one way to find out.

Picking up his speed, ignoring the pounding sound closing in on him, Beast Boy leaped into the air as soon as he got close enough to the generator. Shifting his position in the middle of his bound, he faced the creature and let himself collide with the generator. As soon as he came into contact with the machine, Beast Boy slammed his claw-like fingers into the metal, holding himself in place on its surface. Blue bolts of electricity continued to surge across his body, though Beast Boy didn't know if it was from the inhibitor or the machine behind him.

Beast Boy watched the creature advance, each footstep in his direction shaking the entire room. As soon as he witnessed it lift an arm into the air, he knew he was going to find out if his plan would work. Staring beyond the creature for a moment as time slowed down, Beast Boy looked at each of his friends... even from his distance, he could see they were beginning to wake up. _'Guys... I'm sorry... if this doesn't work. I tried my best,' _he thought, looking away and closing his eyes as the creature came closer. _'Every last ounce of strength...'_

Across the room from Beast Boy's position, all the Titans began to recover from their incapacitation. Feeling the ground shake as they brought themselves to their feet, they each turned to see the creature rushing toward the other end of the room, near the three large machines. The monster had one arm pulled back as though it was going to strike the largest machine... Looking around themselves, the four Titans couldn't locate Beast Boy. In horror, all eyes widened as they noticed their friend's form clinging to the machine's surface.

In an instant, before any of the Titans could react in any conceivable way, the Sentinel slammed its fist into the generator... breaking the metal and crushing Beast Boy under its attack. Surprisingly, the monster was quickly lit up with giant white bolts of electricity. A nearly deafening crackling sound began to increase in frequency from that end of the room. On cue, the many lights that lined the ceiling began to explode one by one, moving in the creature's direction until none were left. In the darkness, orange sparks from the broken fixtures plummeted down to the ground; quickly, the Titans guarded themselves from the rain of glass and sparks, never taking their eyes off the giant Sentinel in the distance.

Fist still implanted in the generator, the monster began to shake wildly as the intense bolts of energy surged across its body. Illuminating the darkness, the creature began to glow an intense white. The ground began to rumble violently as the chaos pressed on. However, as soon as the creature abruptly stopped moving, the Titans knew what was coming next. In an instant, two blindingly bright explosions erupted from the east end of the room, one originating from the creature... and the other from farthest machine on the right.

Shielding their eyes from the intensity of the blasts, the Titans remained stationary in a daze as the room quickly fell to an eerie quiet. Behind them, a heavy whistling of air through the long corridor became the most prominent sound in the area. The corridor provided a bit of flickering light... however, it was scarcely enough to light less than half of the immense area now cloaked in shadow. The shock still feeling like it weighed a ton and rested firmly on their shoulders, Robin, Starfire, Cyborg, and Raven could do little but stare off into the void with dismayed expressions.

"Beast Boy!" called Starfire, speaking up first. She could not accept what she thought she had seen... and hoped against all powers that he would answer back; little did she know, the others were sharing her precise thoughts. When no answer came, Starfire stepped forward, the soles of her boots crunching against the shattered glass that now decorated the floor. "Beast Boy...?" she repeated quietly, lifting a hand high into the air and radiating green energy outward from it.

The area under the light of Starfire's energy revealed a floor littered with glass. Beyond the reach of her light... little could be seen except countless more shards which managed to reflect the luminance, glimmering in the dark like stars in the night sky. Taking in a deep breath, Starfire continued, leading the group onward into the darkness. Their movement causing the crunch of glass to echo throughout the silent room, the Titans each knew what they were seeking further ahead. They wanted to run to the end... but, for fear of what they would find, they could only bring themselves to a hurried walk.

"Come on, man. This ain't funny..." Cyborg spoke up into the shadows. The only answer back—an echo of his own words—caused Cyborg's stomach to turn. He thought of using his own light, or scanning the shadows with his mechanical eye, but the following seconds proved those actions pointless...

The first thing the Titans noticed as they progressed was the layer of broken glass coming to an end around a large area... they had reached the point where the giant Sentinel had been standing. However, what came into their sights next, sent their hearts plummeting. There, lying face down at the base of the generator... was Beast Boy's lifelessly still body. Despite the Titans' hopes... everything they feared after seeing the Sentinel attack... seemed horrifyingly true. All footsteps came to a halt... sending the room into complete silence once again.

"No..." came Raven's voice, almost in a whisper. To everyone's surprise, she was quickly away from the group and kneeling down beside Beast Boy's form. With nothing coming to their minds to say... the others simply stayed where they were, feeling more than a little helpless. Carefully turning Beast Boy over, Raven pulled her hood away to get a better view and looked down at his face; his hair was electrified... sticking out everywhere... he probably would have joked about it... Eyes closed and mouth slack, there was no vivid indication of whether or not he was breathing.

"Get up..." said Raven, with little emotion in her tone, placing her hands on Beast Boy's shoulders and shaking him lightly. No response came, his head falling to the side, facing away from her. Fearfully, she pressed her fingers against his neck and felt no pulse. For a moment, she looked across his form frantically. "I... can heal you," she spoke quickly, holding her palms out above his chest and abdomen. Trying her hardest, Raven attempted to call upon her healing powers... but nothing came... it was the one power the nanomachines managed to suppress completely. "Come on," she said, her hands beginning to shake as she concentrated harder, staring down at his dead expression.

"...Raven--" started Cyborg, walking forward, immediately interrupted by a surge of Raven's energy coming his way. Guarding himself with his arms, he backed away and looked on warily.

"It shouldn't be this way..." Raven shook her head, closing her eyes as her expression became more angry. "No one said you had to sacrifice yourself!" she raised her tone unintentionally, opening her eyes to glare down at Beast Boy. "You always act like you have so much to live for... yet you were ready to throw it all away like that?" she continued, trying to keep her expression stable. "You idiot..." Clenching a fist, Raven suddenly slammed it against Beast Boy's chest. When no reaction came, she unwittingly fell forward against his form as she continued to hit him; even she surprised herself with her own actions, guided by pure emotion. "I hate you... so much," she said, falling silent and still for a moment. "Are you just going to take that from me?" she questioned, gritting her teeth. "Say something..." she spoke in a whisper, hitting him once more, her voice almost muffled by his chest.

Suddenly, a loud cough echoed in the room, shaking Raven where she rested. Surprised, Raven quickly shot up from her position and looked to see Beast Boy's eyes squinting open tiredly. "...Just another reason to stay vegetarian: I have... a whole new respect for cooked meats now," Beast Boy spoke through a raspy voice, struggling to smile as he coughed once more.

Feeling her heartbeat skyrocket and her mind overflow with just about every emotion, Raven had little control over what happened next. She laughed. Quickly covering her mouth, Raven assumed a furious expression and grabbed Beast Boy by the collar with both hands, shaking him excessively. "Are you crazy!" she questioned loudly.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble, stopping Raven from throttling Beast Boy. Both stood up straight and stared at the ground, watching as it began to crack and separate beneath them. With little time to move, the two suddenly fell into a dark area as the floor gave way.

There were very few strange events that could cause the Titans to enter such a thunderstruck daze, but, clearly, Beast Boy coming back to life... and Raven laughing at one of his jokes... was at the top of the list now. Shaking the shock from their expressions simultaneously, Robin, Starfire, and Cyborg rushed over to the edge of the gaping whole in the floor.

Looking worried, Starfire aimed the light from her hand down into the hole... quickly relieved to see Beast Boy and Raven recovering on a flat, rocky floor not too far down. "You are... okay?" she questioned, the past sequence of events still sinking in.

Beast Boy massaged his forehead, attempting to regain his balance. "Yeah, we're..." he trailed off as he stood up and looked around the area. From what he could see under Starfire's light, the area appeared to be some sort of underground cave, rocky formations jutting up from the ground and hanging down overhead.

"You're okay to stand?" Apparently forgetting about her anger, Raven raised an eyebrow as she watched Beast Boy move about.

"I know this place..." said Beast Boy looking around more until something caught his attention. Eyes widening, Beast Boy rushed over to to a large stone with a flat top by one of the walls. Kneeling down in front of it, he stared at its vertical surface:

TERRA

A TEEN TITAN

A TRUE FRIEND

Beast Boy looked on in confusion at the words emblazoned in the stone... They had been above the cave that entire time during the fight. Many questions began to rush through his mind. How long had the facility been there? Did it play some part in freeing Terra? By this time, the other Titans had climbed down into the cave; standing behind Beast Boy, they were no less surprised by what they saw.

"What does this mean?" questioned Starfire, looking to the area at the base of the memorial, where several small, broken rocks resided.

"They must have recently built over this cave..." said Cyborg, looking around, unable to find any answers. "It couldn't have been here when..."

"Hm..." Robin squinted his eyes up at the machines... they resided directly over the open portion of the cave. Turning back to the memorial, he suddenly gained a reason to believe Beast Boy had actually seen the real Terra on that day...

"Great... and just when I thought I couldn't get any more confused..." Beast Boy commented, visible bags of stress under his eyes.

- - - - - -

"I guess we'll figure all this out later..." said Cyborg, reaching down to help the last person, Beast Boy, out of the cave. As Beast Boy stood up fully and dusted himself off, Cyborg turned to face the large doorway on the opposite end of the room. The lights from the corridor no longer flickered, sending a good amount of illumination into the area, enough for the walls to be seen in moderate detail. "Right now... we should probably focus on--"

"I'll... make you pay for... what you did to us..." a struggling voice echoed from the other end of the room, cutting Cyborg off. The Titans looked across to see Green pulling himself along the ground toward the corridor with his arms; his legs seemed paralyzed, dragging lifelessly behind him. He growled under his breath as he wrenched himself further. "We were real... and you destroyed us... What are we now?" he continued nonsensically, almost sounding delirious. Stretching an arm out, he reached as far as he could while still supporting himself with the other. "I'll make you pay... I'll take it back..." Letting out a strained breath, Green fell to the ground, remaining silent and still.

Green's actions sobering their attitudes a bit, the Titans merely began walking toward the corridor. Beast Boy took a spot near the front where Robin and Cyborg walked. Raven... tried to remain as far away from him as possible, hiding somewhere behind Starfire. She felt embarrassed for everything she did... though, somehow, she felt as though he might not have come through had she done nothing... Still, the last thing she wanted to do was speak to him after... laughing.

"Raven?" came Starfire's voice in a soft whisper. She turned around to face her friend... who was once again hiding her face under her hood, more so by looking away. Tilting her head inquisitively, she reduced her pace to walk alongside Raven at the far end of the group.

"Yes... Starfire?" replied Raven, hands holding firmly the edges of her hood.

"That was a truly brave thing you did," said Starfire with a smile, trying to bring herself into Raven's view.

"Brave? I don't... What was?" asked Raven, trying to stay quiet enough to keep the others from hearing.

"Speaking what you felt," Starfire responded, no less cheerful than before. "There are times I wish I had the strength to speak in such a way..." she continued, pausing for a moment to look at Robin from behind. "I am certain that is what brought him to consciousness." Starfire turned back to Raven with a bright smile.

"That... or my punching his chest so many times..." Raven looked to the ground, shaking her head at herself. "But, wait..." she spoke up, suddenly thinking about something Starfire said. "'Speaking what I felt?' You don't really think I hate him, do you? That was just..."

"Of course not..." said Starfire, sending Raven a reassuring glance. "But at that moment... I am certain you did. You hated him for putting himself in such danger... for making such a foolish sacrifice. Hate can be a form of affection in disguise--"

"Shh!" Raven quickly reached out and cupped a hand over Starfire's mouth. "No one said anything about... _affection_," she spoke quietly, a twitch to her eyebrow, cringing at the word as she let go of Starfire.

"Still, I believe you should not be hiding... Perhaps you should speak with him instead. I have no doubt he wishes to thank you."

"I wasn't..." Raven trailed off, realizing she wasn't fooling Starfire. "I'll... think about it," she said in defeat, reaching up and pulling her hood away once again. She quickly realized Starfire was a lot more clairvoyant than she seemed.

Leading the group onward with Cyborg and Robin, Beast Boy could hardly believe the ordeal was finally over. Even so, there were many unresolved issues... issues that made it seem as though they would be dealing with the aftermath of the situation long after Green was in jail. Still, there was a great amount of relief in Beast Boy... his fears from the very beginning of the experience were confirmed and confronted... a weight had been lifted. Things... really didn't stay bad.

Finally reaching Green, the Titans came to a stop and looked down at him. Lying on his stomach, one arm stretched out toward the corridor, his face could be seen clearly. Something the Titans didn't expect at all: stains of tears resided on the skin below Green's closed eyes...

"Wow... Karma was pretty tough on him," commented Beast Boy, glancing over at Raven for a moment; receiving a quick 'turn away' as a response, he wondered what he had said wrong. "Well... I guess we should try to carry him out of here, right--" Beast Boy stopped, hearing a peculiar ringing sound from Green's body. Looking at the others for a moment in confusion, he knelt down, examining a pocket on the boy's shirt. Carefully reaching in, he pulled out something that seemed to be a communication device. The small, black, rectangular object had several numbered buttons on its surface as well as a display. Locating a button on the device labeled 'Accept', Beast Boy warily pressed down on it with his thumb. As the display lit up with static, Beast Boy winced as though it was about to explode. Chuckling nervously to himself, he brought the object closer to his face. "...Hello?"

All waiting for an answer, the Titans gathered around Beast Boy expectantly, wondering who could possibly be on the other end of the communicator. For several moments, the only sound out of the speaker was the soft and continuous crackle of radio static. However, suddenly, the sound came to a stop... with a single click.

A male voice clearing his throat suddenly sounded from the device. "I... don't know what a person in my position should be saying right now... You may not even recognize my voice, but..."

"It's you..." said Beast Boy, listening carefully to the voice. The mechanical distortion was missing, but it was definitely him: the blue Sentinel. "The one who helped us escape," he continued.

"I'm here too," a young, female voice spoke up. "I think what he's getting at here... is an apology... or, an explanation, in the least," she added.

"You guys... You were those two other Sentinels," said Cyborg... confused, as they sounded much younger. Looking down, he realized the answer to a few of his questions was lying on the ground. "You're just kids... I don't get how all this could happen..."

"We have some questions that need answering," said Robin seriously, speaking closer to the radio.

"Yeah, like, how did you manage to replace the entire police force...?" questioned Beast Boy, a bit of resentment in his tone. Blue may have helped them, but he must have also contributed, in some way, to causing all the trouble.

"The resources you'd need to pull that off... It sounds impossible," Cyborg commented.

"What was your purpose...?" Starfire added her own question. Raven remained quiet, any questions she may have had, already asked.

"...You have a right to an explanation," Blue spoke up again, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. "It all happened while you were gone for those few months... Crime had risen and the city was in need of aid. At that point... all I needed to do was hack the right computer... and process virtual paperwork..." He stopped, sounding a little disgusted with himself. "No one seemed to question a 'government issued' reformation of the city's police force. So, using the same means, I managed to get a headquarters set up as a front, to make it seem real--"

"You built over all those shops... What was that new building for, then?" Robin questioned, starting to see the scheme unravel in his mind.

"It was..." Blue stopped, letting out a slow breath, "a way for the army to infiltrate the city without notice... from the very center. That corridor next to you leads directly to the building's basement... The army would have climbed out... and..."

"And attacked the city?" Raven suddenly spoke up, moving closer to the radio. "That's disgusting... You seemed willing enough to help us... but you had this planned from the start. Why--"

"They were never meant to harm the population," Blue cut in, trying to make it sound less sinister, though he could hardly convince himself of that. "Their original orders were to attack the Sentinel guards we had stationed across the city, even our 'avatars'... That's when we would show up in person... and destroy them all, utilizing their weakness to intense energy. We wanted the city to look at us as... something other than the monsters we were created to be, so we could feel we had a purpose. But..."

"Green... reprogrammed the army to attack the city... and six additional priority targets, ourselves included," Red added her own insight.

"We didn't know there was a world outside the facility we were born and raised in... Once we were released into it... we sort of... lost our minds in confusion. Green... I could see it... every day he was getting worse... angrier..." Blue trailed off, thinking back on the events that brought them to this point. "I take it the army turned against him?" he asked. "Is he...?"

"He's fine..." said Beast Boy, "just a little unconscious and jail-bound," he added, looking down at the boy on the floor.

"Speaking of which..." said Cyborg, glancing over at Robin.

"We're going to need you to answer for this as well," said Robin. Squinting his eyes, he carefully examined the static-filled screen of the radio.

"I'm sorry... but that won't be happening," said Blue, sounding determined. "...Looking back, I realized how ignorant we had all been, how we had almost crossed over into madness. We spent so long looking elsewhere for a purpose... that we neglected what really mattered. Purpose isn't something a person can attain... it's something that already exists, and must be realized. Ruby and I... we've realized our purpose, but we want to forget our past... and live the lives we should have from the start. We left the city..."

"You cannot simply forget your past... when that past has caused such damage to those around you. Your wrongs must be undone," Starfire suddenly spoke up, thinking of all the changes to the city as a result of their actions.

"I know..." replied Blue. "That's why, before we left, I took care of a few things. When you leave, the police from neighboring cities should be waiting outside the building to take Green into custody. It won't be long after that until Sentinel is dissolved... much like the first time... and the original police force resumes activity. I told them everything," he explained. "I wish... I could take back everything I did... But I hope this acts as a small consolation."

The room fell silent for a moment. Beast Boy simply stared at the radio screen, feeling overwhelmed by everything... until something finally came to his mind. "...What about Terra?" he asked.

"That memorial..." stated Blue. "After the company was shut down, they left the chemicals from the Sentinel Project idle... they ended up leaking down into that cave. I don't know how it affected your friend's memorial, but..."

"No. Whatever it did... I think I should be thankful for it..." said Beast Boy, looking serious-minded.

"That's a relief... I'd hate to see more damage than us caused by that company..." Blue trailed off, preparing his final words for the Titans. "Well, this is where we disappear..." he said, his voice suddenly replaced by the static once again.

Suddenly, the radio emitted a short click sound. "See ya!" came Red's voice from the speaker.

"Ruby, what are you--"

Beast Boy looked down at the radio with a slightly amused expression as it finally shut off. With no more use for it, he tossed the device to the side and looked to the corridor along with everyone else.

"So, anyone else feeling seriously homesick?"

- - - - - -

In the Titans' minds, the whole ordeal had ended rather anticlimactically. One of the most testing experiences of their lives, a fight to protect the city from the fruition of a sinister plot... had gone completely without notice. Just as Blue stated, as the Titans exited the Sentinel building, police forces from neighboring cities were waiting in the streets, those in front ready to take Green away as if they knew exactly what was going on. Little more than a small 'thank you' was exchanged. For a while, the Titans simply stood outside the building in the late night, watching as the teams of officers began to secure the area. Around them, buildings alive and gleaming with light, the city was as clueless as ever, going on with their own business... they would never truly know what transpired that night, save for what the Chronicle would post as front page news the next day. Despite the bittersweet feeling of their invisible victory... the Titans' hopes and spirits had been revived. They felt like they could once again be who they were meant to be. In their hearts, they knew the real victory was not where people could see it, residing instead in the realization of a purpose they had almost lost sight of.

Home. The word had more meaning now for the Titans than ever before. The sight of their tower, standing tall in the dark waters of the bay past midnight, surrounded by waves caught under the moon's radiance, was a welcoming sight. With no hesitation to speak of, the city's unnoticed heroes returned home, in severe need of rest and recuperation.

A layer of dust had settled on the many neglected items throughout the tower, signifying the passed days and months. It was a symbol of time lost, but also of time to be made... With their renewed spirits, the Titans each made a promise with themselves, to make home feel like home once again, to clear away that layer of dust and leave the empty days behind.

Despite the rest that each of the Titans so eagerly craved at the moment... there was still some work to be done in order for things to return to normal.

"Phew. That's all of 'em. You're free to go," said Cyborg, looking at the diagnostics displayed on the living room's immense television screen.

Just as soon as he heard the good news, Beast Boy leaped up from his seat and removed a bulky, metal mask from his face, as well as the layers of tubing and wires that surrounded his body. Dropping the heavy objects beside the nanoscopic probe removal apparatus, he suddenly felt the need for a victory dance. Hands waving in the air, he proceeded to celebrate around the living room.

"Go, Beast Boy. You're probe-less..." Beast Boy trailed off, coming to a complete stop and scratching his temple thoughtfully. "Wait... haven't I done this before?" he questioned, messing up his expression. When no answer came, he saw that the others were simply looking at him, expressions nearly unreadable. "What? ...You got 'em all, right?" he asked, frantically searching himself.

"This is the point where we should ask you to refrain from the 'I-told-you-so's," said Starfire, grasping one of her arms guiltily.

"The thing is... We completely ignored everything you had to say from the start of this... and you were right about them, about everything. I guess we just didn't wanna believe it, or something..." Cyborg added, looking apologetic and a little regretful.

Stepping forward, Robin appeared as serious as ever, placing a hand on Beast Boy's shoulder. "We disregarded your intuition as though you were lying... and there's no excuse for that," he said, retaining his expression. "From now on, know that we trust you. You've given us more than enough reason to." Letting go of Beast Boy, Robin stepped back into the group.

"We're proud of you, man," Cyborg spoke up again with a smile.

"Just... don't let it go to your head," said Raven monotonously.

"Guys..." Beast Boy trailed off, his facial expression suddenly tightening. "Ah! Gimme a second," he said, quickly guarding his face with an arm and turning away. Taking in a deep breath shakily, Beast Boy let it out and turned back to face the others with a decidedly calmer expression. "Thanks," he put it simply, hoping it was enough to show his appreciation.

"I know we deserve it, but try not to rub it in too much," said Cyborg. Looking at the clock on his arm, he let out a boisterous yawn. Letting his face fall forward, he rested his forehead against his palm, exhaustion visible under his human eye. "I really need to recharge..." he said, feeling the tiredness finally taking affect. "If you add it all up... we've all lost about a week of sleep..." he chuckled, though what he said was hardly a joke. "I'm gonna turn in." Cyborg began making his way across the living room to the halls.

"Good idea," added Robin. "We should probably all rest before things get back to normal," he suggested, following after Cyborg with a bit of a tired slouch to his walk.

Starfire stood still for a moment, watching Robin walk away. During the time they were separated, she had been worried most of all about him... and he had become all the more important to her. And despite the especially embarrassing way they were reunited, she felt that there were things she needed to say while she still had the nerve. Now that they finally had a chance to talk again, she wasn't about to waste it. "Wait... Robin," said Starfire, quickly moving over to the main doors before Robin could pass through them. "May I speak with you?"

"Of course," replied Robin, giving her an inquisitive look as they passed through the doorway together. Admittedly, though he was exhausted, he had been wanting an excuse to talk with her. Recent events, particularly his worry when Sentinel took her away, had led him to realize something: things can happen in a blinding instant... and chances to say certain things could possibly be taken away just as quick. Over the years, his feelings had grown for her... and a single question remained in his mind. They were friends and heroes... but could they be more?

The main doors closed as Robin and Starfire moved beyond them, leaving their conversation a mystery to the others.

Raven, after waiting a while to give Robin and Starfire a moment, walked up the stairs from the common room. However, before she could make it to the halls, she noticed Beast Boy had stayed behind in the living room. Turning around, she saw him looking thoughtfully out the windows.

"Aren't you going to get some sleep?" she asked, raising an eyebrow as Beast Boy turned around to face her. "...You probably need it most," she added, thinking of his injuries as she watched him walk across the room in her direction.

Stopping beside Raven at the doors, he turned to give her a smile. "Nah, not just yet. I think I'm gonna get some fresh air first," he said, pointing to the elevator in the distance as the main doors slid open for him. Waving as he moved along, Beast Boy continued on to the elevator.

"Oh... all right," said Raven, looking to the side as she thought about what Starfire suggested to her. However, it was more than that... something seemed to still be troubling Beast Boy. As an excuse, she told herself she wouldn't feel like things were back to normal... until he was.

- - - - - -

Morphing out of bird form, Beast Boy descended to the ground on a rocky portion of the island which faced the open sea. Sitting down on a flat rock by the shore, he took in a deep breath and looked out to the ocean. Dark blue waves lapped up against the rocks below effervescently, pushed forward by surprisingly calm waters. The stronger curls of water managed to crash and propel tiny droplets of moisture high into the air, each sparkling brightly, bringing attention to the brilliant full moon. Looming not far above the horizon, the celestial body bleached out the closer stars and radiated its light across the surface of the ocean as far as the eye could see.

Yawning, Beast Boy stretched his arms out and leaned back against the rock, purposefully changing into several animals in the process—just to get a feel for it again. Returning to human form, he placed his arms behind his head and felt his eyes closing as he listened to the continuous crashing of waves. So many things had happened, too many to think about in one night...

"Do you always come down here to think?" came a monotone voice from behind Beast Boy.

Still leaning back, Beast Boy slowly opened his eyes and saw Raven looking down at him; the first thing he noticed was that her hood was down. Quickly shooting up to a sitting position, he looked over his shoulder. "Uh...yeah. It's sorta relaxing," he explained. Noticing a pebble by his hand, Beast Boy swept his palm across the rock and knocked the stone into the water below. "I got a couple memories here..." he spoke too softly to be heard.

"Things are back to normal, shouldn't you be glad?" asked Raven, sitting down on a flat rock beside Beast Boy's. "What is there to think about?" She attempted not to sound too demanding, looking out at the moon.

"Um... stuff," Beast Boy answered vaguely, turning away from Raven a bit. "It's just that... so much happened so fast. Right now, I'm really just trying to understand it all," he stated. "It's mostly... what happened with Green... what I did to him when... y'know. I thought I had control... but that monster got out again." Bringing his hands up into his view, Beast Boy looked closely at his fingers, remembering where the tears in his gloves had been. Sighing, he set his hands back on the rock and leaned his weight against them.

Turning herself to face Beast Boy, Raven shook her head slowly. "It seeks to protect, that is all," she said, receiving a confused expression from Beast Boy. "That 'monster' is just another part of you... which is why I believe it would never do anything evil." Raven shifted her weight and focused on a small pebble, enveloping it in her dark energy and bringing it up into both their views. "As with any power you live with, a certain amount of control is needed." The stone began to move straight in several directions. "However... there are times when control is lost." Closing her eyes, Raven let her mind lose focus and, as a result, the stone proceeded to move about wildly. Upon opening her eyes, Raven witnessed the stone fly right past her face; narrowly avoiding her, it ricocheted off the rocks behind the two.

"How did you..."

"Instinct," said Raven, looking back to Beast Boy with a serious face. "Sometimes, you must rely solely on it to guide you... A person can never have _complete_ control, but that doesn't mean things are out of your hands, whether you realize it or not," she offered her best explanation. "Even so... I saw you use that power twice today, and you dealt with it far better than I have my own. I've been wondering about that... how did you manage to stay strong...? When you broke out of that prison, I couldn't believe..."

"Oh, no..." said Beast Boy, his face suddenly gaining a tinge of red. "About that..." he started, facing Raven with a sheepish expression. "I didn't mean anything I said about you back there..."

"But--"

"No, it's true." He held up his hands in defense. "I said you were glad that Sentinel showed up... that you were relieved someone else was doing all the work," he said, almost bracing himself for the reaction from Raven. "The truth is, I only said those things because I was trying to get you mad. I thought... if anyone could get us out of there... it was you."

Raven's eyes became wide and baffled. "That can't be... What about what you did...? You were the one who broke free... I had nothing to do with--"

"I was thinking about the time... when the world was ending. I thought about how you kept your hope, even after you believed you were the cause of it all. You didn't give up, and in the end, that's what got us through it."

"That's..." Raven trailed off, looking out at the ocean for a while with a shocked expression. Letting out a breath, she turned back to Beast Boy and allowed a small smile to show. "Thank you," she said, suddenly feeling like she needed to hide her face. "So... 'I'm the strongest person you know.' You meant that?"

"Every word," Beast Boy answered seriously, suddenly gaining a big grin.

"...What?" Raven looked around and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Did you mean what you said, too?" he questioned, still wearing the same grin.

Raven's face suddenly turned crimson. "Oh, no..." she muttered, feeling more than a little embarrassed. "I didn't mean it that way... I was just trying to--"

"I know," Beast Boy cut in, reassuring Raven. "And it worked. I'm here right now because of what you said. I just wanted to say 'thanks'."

"Oh..." Raven let out a relieved sigh, turning away and crossing her arms in front of herself. "Well... you're welcome," she said, avoiding his gaze. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the changeling grinning again. Gritting her teeth, she turned to face him once more, this time almost angry. "What is it now?" she asked through her teeth, one eyebrow twitching.

"I made you laugh," said Beast Boy, his grin widening.

At this point, Raven felt like exploding. Nearly standing up, she quickly calmed herself down and turned back to face the ocean with closed eyes. "I wonder how cold the ocean is right now..." she said.

Beast Boy swallowed hard and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Okay... I'll stop," he conceded, looking back to the ocean, intent on preventing Raven from launching him into it... though, somehow, even if she didn't hurl him into the waves, he knew she would find some way to get him back for it. For a while, he simply continued to stare off at the water, the moon captivating all of his attention. He hardly noticed the presence moving closer to him. However, in one shocking instant, which immediately awoke him from his thoughtful daze, Beast Boy felt a strange, quick sensation against his cheek. Quickly turning to his left, he saw Raven's face pulling away from his.

"Good to have things back to normal, isn't it?" asked Raven, giving Beast Boy a sly smirk as she stood up and turned toward the tower, making her way back up the rocks.

Beast Boy stood up and looked around himself frantically, wondering if he was still in the same dimension, eyes practically bursting out of his face. "Dude, did you just kiss me?" he questioned, looking to be in a huge panic, a hand pressed firmly against the affected cheek.

Stopping her return to the tower, Raven looked over her shoulder, the same smirk remaining on her face. "You made me laugh. I made you question reality. We're even."

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**Author's Note:** XD Finally finished, and on the day the Teen Titans movie airs, lol. I know I'm four days late with this, but I'm just glad it was less than a week. This chapter was huge, almost as long as the final chapter in TLD (about 1000 words less), which is part of the reason it took so long.

Well, about the ending: I figured when Raven laughed at Beast Boy's joke, it made her question reality a bit. So... I thought Raven would try to pay him back in kind, OOC as it seems XD. Overall, this fic was lighter on the romance than any of my others, so that was really me trying to make up for it. I wanted to give the feeling of an open ending, and not come to an answer-all conclusion; this fic, in part, was meant to be a departure from the way I usually did things.

On another note, I hope I managed to get everything across here. If there are still things you're confused about, regarding Sentinel, please make note of it in your reviews. Feel free to be critical in your reviews as well; this is the last chapter after all, and I'd really like to know what you think.

I've appreciated everyone's support since the beginning. Thanks a lot. Stay tuned for the epilogue, which will clear up one more issue.

**Epilogue Preview:** "There's one last thing I need to do, to respect an old friend's wishes. I know I have to move on, for my sake and hers... but one thing I will never do... is forget." Epilogue: Forever in Memories.


	9. Forever in Memories

**Forget Me Not**

by Blue Ten

**Summary:**

After defeating the Brotherhood of Evil, the Teen Titans return to their city only to find that many things changed in their absence. And when an outlandish new enemy is defeated for them, the Titans are left to contemplate their place in the world. But Beast Boy won't let it end there. BBxRae, RobxStar

**Disclaimer:**

I do not own Teen Titans.

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Epilogue: Forever in Memories

Stepping out from the tower's elevator on the ground level, Beast Boy looked out across the large room. A long, red carpet led across the floor, lined on both sides by several gray, cushioned chairs, leading straight to the main exit. The immense doors, the image of a black 'T' stretched across their entire surface, rose tall, but was easily dwarfed by the sheer height of the ceiling. Lights from above and the walls illuminated the window-less area, giving no indication of the current time-of-day.

Making his way across the carpet, Beast Boy stopped in front of the large doors and allowed them to slowly slide open for him. Immediately, a gust of cool wind rushed through, causing the changeling to squint his eyes and shiver a bit until it ended. Fully open, the doorway revealed the outside world. Deeply shadowed waters moved about peacefully in the bay, waves brought into focus by the light of the pale-blue, morning sky. Many windows in the cityscape seemed like yellow floodlights, at just the right angle to reflect the sun perfectly. It was early... long before the others would wake up; just the way Beast Boy wanted it, as he felt he didn't need to bother them with his current _mission_.

Beast Boy felt the morning breeze sweeping the island as he stepped out onto the tower's stone walkway. Taking in a deep breath of the sea air, he looked to the eastern horizon to see the sun peeking slightly over the waters under the connecting bridge. As he stood in the light, a reflective, silver object could be seen, held securely under his right arm. Suddenly morphing into a large bird, he took hold of the object with his beak and proceeded to glide toward the city on the currents.

Even in the early morning, the city was fairly animated; several cars rushed through its streets every now and again, as well as the occasional person taking a stroll down the sidewalks by the beach. Seeing this, Beast Boy wondered if perhaps he should have come earlier. He soon realized waking up sooner would have been quite impossible; with all the exhaustion he felt from that night's battle, he was surprised he had awakened at all.

Beast Boy moved eastward along the sidewalk closest to the bay, the tower still visible from the corner of his eye. As time passed by, the sun continued along its path into the sky, half of its body now visible over the horizon. Eventually, Beast Boy traveled beyond the connecting bridge and took notice of something in the distance. The tall, circular silhouette of the amusement park's Ferris Wheel rose high before the sunlight by the ocean. Beast Boy smiled at the memories it presented: Robin and Starfire subtly flirting as they rode the wheel, he and Cyborg winning and losing at the many games, and Raven... well... being Raven. Beast Boy chuckled to himself a bit when he realized that was probably when Raven's dislike of chickens first arose.

Beast Boy turned away from the amusement park as he came to a crosswalk that led into the city. With no cars currently in the area, he simply hurried across the street and moved on into the forest of buildings. The quiet surprised Beast Boy, especially as he moved toward the city's center along its wide, main street. Several cars moved through the lanes, so few and far between that they had apparently no reason to rush. Beginning to look around a bit, Beast Boy knew he had no reason to rush either. Moving along, he kept a good grip on the silver object in his right hand.

In time, Beast Boy came across the pizza place which forked the main street. Walking on the adjacent sidewalk to its right, he looked up at the open area at the top and remembered all the times he and the others had spent there. Rarely did they order something to eat in a timely fashion, always arguing about the dumbest things—such as whether or not to have meat, vegetarian, or... other toppings, when separate pizzas would have sufficed. Ironically, some of his fondest memories circled around that place.

Further down the way, Beast Boy looked to his left as he came upon an open area. The Sentinel building still remained... however, the machines of a construction crew had gathered around it... preparing it for a demolition, he assumed. One thing was for sure... he wouldn't miss it when it was gone. He only hoped the old shops would get their places back in time.

Finding his facial expression shifting to a discontented grimace, Beast Boy was interrupted by a group of pigeons flying overhead in the direction he had been going. The birds pulling his attention away from the building, he looked further down the way to see a bit of green in the distance which led up into the mountains: the park. He was almost to his destination... but he felt there was still time to take in the sights.

The park was relatively empty during the early morning hours, as was typical. Beast Boy saw no problem with this, the fact making the grassy, green area seem all the more inviting. The many hills between the forested areas were windswept, the grass that painted their surfaces swaying in the breeze. All throughout, the most prominent sounds were the singing of birds and the rustling of leaves in the oaks. Beast Boy walked along the pathways in the park for quite sometime... sure, by this time, his friends had already noticed his absence. However, it was still early in the morning, the sun not yet over the tops of the buildings, and he was certain he would make it back before noon. With an easygoing expression on his face, he continued on his way through the quiet park.

Out of all the places in the city, this was perhaps the one where the Titans had spent the most time. Whenever they needed a break, this is where they would come to relax. Looking across the rolling hills, Beast Boy could easily identify their favorite spots: the long, flat stretch of ground where they would play the occasional field sports... the out-of-the-way, hidden clearing where they could usually have a picnic without interruption. There were so many things he had once taken for granted... so many things he now cherished more than ever.

Not far from his way out of the park, Beast Boy came across a peculiar looking grouping of flowers along the side of the path. Growing out from thick, green stems and leaves, the actual flowers were quite small and branched off in groups at around knee-height. The flowers' five petals were an eye-catching sky blue, creating a white star shape with a goldenrod center at their hearts. They looked perfect... and what's more, he knew what they were called... Reaching down, he removed one of the groupings from the lower stem and held it firmly with the silver object in his right hand. Standing up fully, Beast Boy looked back to the direction of his destination.

"Okay."

- - - - - -

Contrasting to the liveliness of the outside world, the area Beast Boy now traversed through was dark and saturated with silence. The only prominent sounds were the tapping of water droplets, which resonated infrequently throughout the shadows. Guiding himself with his hands and sticking close to the walls as he moved along, Beast Boy tried not to trip over the various blunt rocks that jutted up from the ground in the cave, as well as duck under the ones protruding from above. At this point, he found himself wishing he had brought a flashlight; however, lining several of the walls was a strange luminescent plant... which eventually allowed his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

All the while, several thoughts coursed through Beast Boy's mind... namely, just what in the world he thought he was doing. This place now harbored two separate memories... both of which were decidedly unpleasant; he felt like a fool for returning, like he was tempting fate to throw him another fastball. But on the other side of things, he realized, both memories had become a bit of a growing experience for him... And now, he was seeking closure with one of them.

Finally reaching his goal, Beast Boy looked up to the break in the cave... a sheet of metal had been placed over it and sealed shut. Apparently, the construction crew had done their job. No doubt the facility and its branches would either be put to other uses... or demolished. In any case, those things were far from Beast Boy's mind.

Turning away from the ceiling, Beast Boy looked across the area to see Terra's memorial in the distance. For a moment, he felt a bit of hesitation, his legs almost refusing to move as he stared at it from afar. However, inhaling deeply, Beast Boy took note of everything he had learned, and pressed onward. It was time to set things right, to let her live her own life.

Kneeling down in front of the stone, Beast Boy brought the object he had been carrying into his view. Taking a moment, he stared at the heart-shaped box in his hands, recalling the sheer embarrassment he felt when giving it to Terra... as well as the events that followed. Lifting open the top of the box, Beast Boy looked at his reflection in the underside of the lid, managing a small smile. Not all memories from back then had been bad ones.

Letting go of his smile, Beast Boy closed the box and looked seriously to the flat surface of the stone. Setting the box down on the rock, he stared at it in silence for a while, simply listening to the subtle ambiance that flowed around him.

"I made this for you... because I wanted to show you the way I felt," he started speaking without much thought, his voice echoing in the cavern. "I'm here today, giving it back, for that same reason..." Beast Boy looked at the dim, bluish-green light of the luminescent plants bouncing off the surface of the box. "I want you to know... that I feel like I can finally move on. You're alive and well, and that's all that should really matter to me. I was being selfish... trying to make you come back... but I think I understand now," he stopped for a moment, realizing he was really talking to no one... but it still felt right to him, to say something. "You lost your powers..." he said, thinking back to his disgraceful actions. "I can't imagine... how relieved you must have been. You could finally be a normal kid for once... and I tried to show up and destroy that."

Beast Boy felt a stinging in his eyes, and consequently stopped his words to wipe some moisture from them. "I got mad. I felt like things were changing too much... when the real truth was..." he trailed off, trying to find words through his slightly choking voice, "all you wanted was for things to stay the same. You found a new life, a place where you could finally be happy—and you didn't want that to change. I was stubborn... and stupid... and I'm sorry." Beast Boy closed his eyes, letting several warm tears roll down his face. "I'm sure... you did it for me as well. How could things ever be the way they were, when there was no way you could be? You were protecting me... all of us... from change." Beast Boy felt his body trembling, and so tried to calm himself with a few slow breaths. "But I know I can be happy for you now... and start being happy again myself." Shakily, he opened his eyes and looked forward through slightly blurred vision.

"Anyway..." started Beast Boy, wiping the last few droplets from his eyes, "I didn't come down here just to blubber like an idiot," he said, chuckling in spite of himself. "I wanted to say that no matter what happens..." Beast Boy brought the stem of blue flowers into his view, placing them on top of the box, "I won't forget... who you were, and who you are. I promise," he finished, standing up and finding the tears gone, but his body still shaking.

Still facing the memorial, he decided to say something else. "I think I've found someone..." he started, finding a fond smile growing on his expression as he placed an open hand against his cheek. "You know her... She's always been someone special to me, but now I'm... starting to feel something more. She can be a little grumpy and quiet sometimes, but, for someone who tries to never laugh or smile... she really has the best of those two things."

Finally feeling himself calm down, Beast Boy smiled brightly, beginning to turn around without notice of the presence in the immediate area. "Well... goodbye, Terr—AAH!" he shouted, seeing a figure standing directly in front of him as he shifted his position fully. Jumping back, he held his arms up for protection, heartbeat skyrocketing. Looking closer at the figure through his guard, Beast Boy noticed something familiar about it and began to lower his arms, squinting into the dimly lit darkness. "Raven...?"

"I..." Raven trailed off, walking further into the dim light and removing her hood. Her expression was almost unreadable, but there was something peculiar about it to Beast Boy. "We came looking for you when you didn't answer your communicator..."

"Oh... I didn't bring it," he replied, avoiding Raven's eyes, suddenly scratching the side of his head as beads of sweat formed. "So, um... how long do you think you were standing there?" he asked nervously, pointing to the aforementioned spot.

Without saying a word, Raven simply walked forward, stopping mere inches from Beast Boy and looking straight into his eyes. Immediately, she locked him in a close embrace, resting her head over his shoulder. For a while, she simply held onto him until words finally came to her. "I think I've found someone too," she mirrored his speech.

Beast Boy hung his head forward in defeat as he returned the embrace. "Um... who is it?" he asked, almost sounding serious. Picking up a small pebble with her powers, Raven used it to lightly hit Beast Boy on the back of the head.

"Dork."

- - - - - -

I asked myself a question when this whole thing started... 'How can someone just let go of a part of themselves... how can you just say goodbye to something you've held onto for so long?' And I've finally come to realize the simple answer: you can't. When something becomes a part of you, there's no real way to let it go, even when it's already out of your reach. The important thing to know is: as long as they remain in your thoughts and memories, those cherished moments, those people who came and left, will never really disappear; they become your inspiration and live on.

Coming back home to find that things had changed: it was a time I tried my hardest... and found something inside I'd been looking for. There was a part of me that believed I could go on forever... that these times with my friends would never end. And when it's all over, no matter what really happens, I can look back on that part of myself and know... it was the best part.

- THE END -

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**Author's Note:** -cries- Well, I'm sure by now you've realized that I intended this story as a metaphor for the cancellation of Teen Titans the tv series. Once I saw 'Things Change', this idea just popped into my head and was brewing even while I was in the midst of writing TLD.

With the ending, I wanted to show that Beast Boy had grown up, and was willing to let certain things in life take their course. Yes, he fought to keep things from changing because of Sentinel—but he was fighting for something he knew to be right, granted that it started as an animal gut feeling. Once he found out he was wrong to try changing Terra's new life, he couldn't make himself do it anymore.

Anyway, thank you all for reading/reviewing, you've been great, seriously :).

Also, my thanks go out to CatGirl R and S Fan for suggesting that I have Beast Boy leave Terra a Forget Me Not (flower). I think that really added something to the ending.

**-major spoilers for the movie-**

I realize that the RobxStar moment was cut short in the last chapter, and you were given no real closure. I did this because, even though it supposedly takes place between Seasons 4 and 5, I wanted this fic to seem like it led right into the movie—with the RobxStar romance (just ignore the BBxRae, lol). I believe that the way they got together in the movie was perfect, so I wanted to go along with it instead of rewriting something.

**-major spoilers for the movie-**

**Next Project Preview:** "When the Titans defeat a mysterious assassin targeting Starfire, they are thrust into a star-crossed journey to possibly save an entire race from extinction. Can the Titans' friendships and bonds survive in the harsh environment of war?" Titans Forever – a 6th Season Fan Comic – can be read eventually on my gallery at blue-ten dot deviantart dot com. RobxStar, BBxRae.

**Footnote:** Don't worry, I'm not leaving fanfiction dot net. Even though I'm doing a fan comic on DA, I'll still stick around here to write Teen Titans fics—once an appropriate one comes to mind. You might see one-shots from me in the future too :). I just wanted to alert people to my next big writing endeavor.


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